Alcohol confiscations from underage drinkers falls by 85%

Community Alcohol Partnership’s​ (CAP) Impact Report 2016​, which was launched on Monday (14 November) as part of Alcohol Awareness Week, showed evidence of significant reductions in youth anti-social behaviour (40%), underage purchasing of alcohol (75%) and attempted “proxy purchases” of alcohol by adults to under 18 drinkers in areas where CAP schemes are active. 

‘A safer Britain’​

CAP’s minister of vulnerability, safeguarding and countering extremism Sarah Newton, who launched the report, said: “It is clear that Community Alcohol Partnerships are playing an important role in reducing young people’s alcohol consumption and protecting them from the harms caused by alcohol abuse.

“The Government is committed to building a safer Britain that works for everyone and I am impressed with the work that CAPs are doing across the UK, to protect and support young people in our society.

“Alcohol-related violent crime has fallen, but it is clear that alcohol misuse has a significant impact on young people and their communities across the country, and partnerships such as this are an effective way to tackle this issue.”

Support from on-trade​

CAP chair Derek Lewis said: “The evidence in the Impact Report 2016​ demonstrates that CAPs are an established, proven and highly successful way of reducing underage drinking and associated harms. 

“Local partnerships of communities and retailers working together to provide tailor-made solutions to underage drinking in their areas are a powerful and effective way to protect children and create better and safer neighbourhoods.”

CAP schemes also receive strong support from on-trade initiatives, particularly Best Bar None and Pubwatch.