Alcohol Related Action Plan

The Government’s Action Plan to tackle Alcohol Related Crime describes a range of initiatives to help tackle these problems, and provides a context for developing new ideas and innovative approaches, as part of local strategies, to address alcohol-related crime, disorder and nuisance.

It has been drawn up following two alcohol and crime seminars, which have drawn on the support and commitment of a wide range of interested parties, including the police, local authorities, representatives of the licence trade, magistrates and others, all of whom will be critical to ensuring the success of the ideas and programmes set out in this plan.

The Action Plan has three objectives, each with a number of key actions.

Objective 1: to reduce under age drinking by :

• rigorous enforcement of the law on under-age drinking

• proof of age schemes

• alcohol education for young people, including relevant materials

Objective 2: to reduce public drunkenness by:

• primary legislation to replace byelaws on public drinking

• good practice in preventing trouble on licensed premises

• new powers to close premises

• fixed penalty notices.

Objective 3: to prevent alcohol related violence by:

• targeting hotspots

• developing pub watch

• training bar staff and door supervisors

• providing plastic and toughened glasses

Summary of Key Actions

Under age drinking

1. Rigorous enforcement of the legislative provisions set out in the Licensing Acts of 1964 and 1988 to prevent the sale of alcohol to under 18s.

2. The provisions of the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 to be widely used to reduce the incidence of under age drinking and associated nuisance in public places.

3. More widespread use of "Proof of Age" schemes to restrict under 18s’ access to alcohol in licensed premises.

4. Establish whether more can be done to strengthen alcohol education for young people and adults.

Public drunkenness

5. More widespread adoption of good practice in preventing alcohol-related problems on licensed premises, including:

• exclusion of troublemakers;

• a refusal to sell alcohol to those who are already intoxicated

• good design and management of premises to avoid factors which can increase the potential for disorder.

6. Tough new powers for the police to enable them to close premises to deal effectively with violent and disorderly behaviour.

7. Consideration of primary legislation to provide an adoptive power in place of existing bye laws to

• prevent the consumption of alcohol and associated misbehaviour in

• specified public places, and

• allow the police to seize open bottles, glasses or cans.

8. Consideration to be given to the use of Fixed Penalty Notices as an effective and speedy response to minor offences of public drunkenness.

9. Targeting of hotspots associated with alcohol-related crime and disorder.

10. Greater use to be made of information sharing schemes – such as Pub-watch schemes - to keep troublemakers from pubs and clubs.

11. Support the role of both bar staff and door supervisors in helping to reduce incidents of disorder on licensed premises.

12. More widespread use of toughened drinking glasses in pubs and bars.

13. More use of plastic "glasses" and refusal to sell beer in bottles in pubs and clubs.

14. Launch good practice "toolkit" on tackling alcohol and crime.