Tackling youth drinking

Ways to stop young people drinking in public and help them make the right decisions about alcohol are outlined in the Government's Youth Alcohol Action Plan.

The Action Plan sets out what the Government will do to address drinking by young people in three main ways:

* Working with police and the courts to stop it, making it clear that unsupervised drinking by young people under-18 in public places is unacceptable;

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* Recognising that drinking by young people in the home is clearly the responsibility of parents and families, but providing clearer health information for parents and young people about how consumption of alcohol can affect children and young people. The Action Plan announces that the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson will produce clear guidelines for families;

* Working with the alcohol industry to continue the good progress made to reduce the sale of alcohol to under-18s but also in marketing and promoting alcohol in a more responsible way.

While the proportion of young people who drink regularly has fallen, the consumption of alcohol by those who do drink has risen sharply and the ways in which young people are drinking have changed.

The Youth Alcohol Action Plan promises a powerful package of action to tackle this:

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* New laws to stop young people drinking in public places, including a new offence to tackle persistent possession of alcohol;

* New authoritative guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer about young people, alcohol and health;

* Establishing a new partnership with parents by providing them with clear information they need to guide their children towards low risk drinking; and

* Supporting and encouraging young people themselves through publicity campaigns and education in schools to make the right decisions about alcohol.

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There is a rising trend for young people drinking unsupervised in public places. This puts them and their communities at greater risk, so tough measures will be introduced to give the police powers to tackle young people who harm themselves and their communities by persistently drinking unsupervised in public places.

The Government wants to give parents and young people the information they need to make informed choices.

The Chief Medical Officer will develop a new set of 'guidelines' on young people and alcohol. He will work with experts, parents and young people themselves to consider the age at which children and young people can start to drink alcohol, how much it is sensible for young people to drink; and how far young people's drinking of alcohol should be supervised by parents.

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