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 and accredited Council employees 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, Hertfordshire 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 occurring in their
premises.
For more information please download the proxy purchasing
leaflet from the 'related links' section to the right of the
page.
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.