Reducing under-age drinking
Under-age drinking can cause problems with disorder and crime,
including violent crime, public disturbance and vandalism as well
as health problems and issues at school or work.
There is a need to prevent young people gaining access to
alcohol and to target areas in which they congregate by:
- Police confiscating alcohol from under-age drinkers in public
places
- Test purchasing at off licences, general stores and
supermarkets
- Creating 'alcohol free' zones
- Gathering information about where young people obtain alcohol
from
- Environmental changes – removing trees and bushes and
improving lighting to prevent young people drinking alcohol
unobserved
- Sharing information and targeting of resources by police
officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Council
enforcement officers.
Proxy Purchasing
Adults buying alcohol or cigarettes for those underage is
called 'proxy purchasing', which is illegal and can carry a fine of
up to £5,000 for the buyer and the vendor. Broxbourne Council's
licensing officers, Herts County Council's Trading Standards
officers and the Police are running a campaign to inform the public
about proxy purchasing. Officers will also be visiting
licensees to ensure that they are taking steps to ensure that proxy
purchasing is not occuring in their premises.
For more information please follow this link to download
our proxy purchasing leaflet.
What can the public do to help?
The Council continues to work with its partners, including the
Police, to tackle all issues related to under-age drinking.
You can help by:
- Providing information of premises selling alcohol to
underage people
- Never buy alcohol for those underage; you risk an £80 on the
spot fine.
To report incidents of alcohol being sold to minors either
inform the Council's helpline on 01992 785577 or email community.safety@broxbourne.gov.uk.