Underage drinking: the block goes on

WARRINGTON is winning the battle to stop the sale of alcohol to underage children.
The number of failed test purchases has fallen from 55 per cent in 2004 to only four per cent today.
A programme to tackle underage sales of alcohol in 2005 is being credited for the town’s success.
The council has worked with schools, the retail trade, the police and the health service on the programme, which includes training sessions to the trade and educating young people in schools and colleges.
The council and the police also run restorative justice seminars which young people caught using fake ID to buy alcohol attend with their parents.
These include informative talks from the police, the retail trade and the NHS on the consequences of buying and drinking alcohol underage. First time offenders are also given the chance to do a course or voluntary work as punishment rather than go into the judicial system.
Around one in three young adults drink to the point of drunkenness and the cost of hospital treatment for people who have been drinking underage is estimated at £19 million a year in England.
Cllr Mike Biggin, the borough council’s executive member for public protection, said: “Underage drinking is a serious issue and one we have been working hard on tackling in our communities. It is good news our efforts have reduced the availability of alcohol to young people in Warrington, but we must not become complacent.
“We recognise there is still more work to be done to address this important issue.
“Irresponsible traders who knowingly sell to underage young people will be dealt with. It’s equally important that young adults understand the harm that drinking can cause to their health and the legal consequences that using fake ID can have on their future”.