Police focus on underage drinking

CHESHIRE Police’s Christmas alcohol campaign comes to a close this week with the final part focussing on underage drinking.
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” campaign has focussed the different scenarios that alcohol can have a profound affect on, to show drunken violence and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Cheshire – including Warrington.
The force recorded over 57,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour between April last year and March this year and 46 per cent of these involved young people acting under the influence of alcohol.
Parents, schools, local people and licencees can all play their part in tackling alcohol problems in the county by reporting any known underage sales of alcohol, talking to children openly about the affects and dangers of consumption and providing alcohol misuse education programmes in schools.
Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick (pictured) said: “Anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related or otherwise, won’t be tolerated in Cheshire. Although we don’t want to tar all young people with the same brush, a small proportion of teenagers choose to get too drunk and misbehave.
“Everyone can assist in preventing alcohol being consumed by teenagers by taking simple actions and using common sense. In researching the effects of anti-social behaviour concerns in our towns in Cheshire, staff have spent time talking to young people about their drinking habits. Many we spoke to consider it a bit of harmless fun. None were concerned of the serious consequences of alcohol both in terms of the danger they put themselves in and the long-term effects on their health.
“This campaign focuses on how people can do a good thing and report underage sales to us and report any licenced premises which are known for serving to under 18s which is bad not only for the youngsters but the licensing trade.
“By everyone taking responsibility we want to prevent things from getting ugly through anti-social behaviour throughout the county this Christmas and for the rest of the year.”
For more information log on to www.cheshire.police.uk.