New powers to tackle teenage drinking come into force

New powers, introduced through the Policing and Crime Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2009, came into force for police forces across England and Wales at the end of January 2010.

The powers are:

• confiscating alcohol from young people – by amending police powers to confiscate alcohol so that they no longer need to prove that the individual ‘intended’ to consume the alcohol

• making it easier to move on groups of young people – by extending the police’s ability to issue ‘Directions to Leave’ so that they can be issued to people aged 10-15 and

• greater power to tackle persistent underage drinkers – by introducing a new offence for under-18s of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place.

• tackling those selling alcohol to children - by changing the offence of persistently selling alcohol to under 18s from three strikes within three months to two strikes in the same period

Also coming into effect were new powers for local councillors to tackle ‘problem’ licensed premises. In addition to the police and members of the public, local councillors will now also be able to call for a review to restrict or remove an alcohol retailer’s licence.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:

“The powers coming in to force today support our work to delay the age at which young people start drinking alcohol. It is right that we give the police tough powers to crack down on the very small minority of young people who are causing problems in their communities.”

The new powers are part of a wider government strategy to tackle underage drinking and associated crime and disorder which was set out in the Youth Alcohol Action Plan, published in 2008.