ALCOHOL MARKING

Understanding of the law on alcohol distribution Demonstrate an understanding of local strategies to reduce underage consumption of alcohol Demonstrate an understanding of the methodology of AL-CODE.

Section 146 of the Licensing Act 2003 makes it an offence to sell alcohol to children anywhere (under 18 years of age) 146(1) A person commits an offence if he sells alcohol to an individual aged under 18 Any person selling alcohol to a person must be satisfied that they are 18 or over Section 149(1) An individual aged under 18 commits an offence if they buy or attempts to buy alcohol Section 149(3) A person commits an offence if they buy or attempt to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual aged under 18 Offenders guilty of any of the above Offences can face an on the spot fine of £80, arrest, Police caution or court appearance with a fine not exceeding £5,000 Licensing Act 2003

An innovative scheme to tackle the problem of underage drinking is being piloted in Richmond The AL-CODE scheme targets people over 18 who buy alcohol for people under the legal age, by marking products with a unique code The scheme targets shops that have been given warnings regarding the sale of alcohol AL-CODE is an example of a partnership-working approach between the Police, Local Authority, Retailers and Registered Social Landlord. What is AL-CODE?

Police intelligence suggest s that some young people in the area are receiving their alcohol from 3 x 19 year olds in a group they associate with, but police cannot currently prove this. They are aware one member of the group is a male named Chris. AL-CODE Methodology

Each participating retailer is provided a unique 2-part code that they mark on the product (e.g. beer can) using a permanent marker or UV pen. Customers who fall into the criteria are given marked cans. The first part of the code gives reference to the shop itself, e.g. AZ, and the second part of the code represents each sale of alcohol to a person that matches the intelligence criteria, e.g. A4. This code is unique to each shop throughout the ward and can be used by police officers as an aid to gathering evidence against underage drinking and anti-social behaviour that can result from this.

AL-CODE procedure for Retailer 1.Retailer asks customer for their ID/proof of age 2.Retailer logs date and time of purchase and ID 3.Retailer’s CCTV records purchase of alcohol 4.A leaflet explaining the law in purchasing alcohol for minors is given to the customer 5.The 4 digit code is marked on each can 6. ( ) SALE IS COMPLETE

AL-CODE: What happens next? (1) Can AZA4 is found in Jason’s hand. Jason is 16. We know code AZ is Tesco, on Tesco Street and go to the shop. After checking the shop’s AL-CODE list, we see AZA4 was sold to JOHN ADAMS at AM on 24/03/10. The Police check the CCTV and get a quick statement from the shop employee. The Police seize the CCTV if necessary and summon the individual for a fixed penalty.

If the buyer leaves the store and supplies an underage individual with alcohol, the offence has been committed. Whereas before we could not prove the offence, now we have the evidential trail for a prosecution to take place: AL-CODE: What happens next? (2) 1.The date and time of purchase 2.The information (Notice) given to the offender demonstrating they are aware of the law 3.The coded can in the hands of a minor 4.Statement from retailer 5.CCTV footage of offender purchasing product 6.Name and address of offender

AL-CODE for PCs & PCSOs Case scenario: PC Porter is on duty in Sandford Park. He sees a group of 18 year olds drinking alcohol. They are not causing a problem, but it is known that the group associates with frequently intoxicated minors. PC Porter approaches the group and asks to see the cans. Whilst the group is distracted by PCSO Mullins (who is issuing the group with a leaflet about providing alcohol to minors), PC Porter marks the can. PC Porter marks the can “EYMP1” (EY = the PC’s station, MP = the PC’s initials). PC Porter notes the name and address of the can’s owner in their PNB.  If can EYMP1 appears later in the hands of a minor then the PC has evidence that the item they marked was the property of (a male over 18) and they have entered that person’s details in their PNB.

AL-CODE: Case Study: Cricklade and Purton, 2008 A publicity campaign was launched raising awareness of AL-CODE across the community. The publicity increased the engagement of retailers. Youths that were questioned were more reluctant to enter the shops and purchase alcohol as the products were being marked. Youths were unaware how the products were being marked. This acted as a deterrent. Stakeholder feedback stated that AL-CODE was cheap to implement and easy to adapt to the needs of the local community.

Learning Outcomes: Understanding of the law on alcohol distribution. Demonstrate an understanding of local strategies to reduce underage consumption of alcohol. Demonstrate an understanding of the methodology of AL- CODE. Partnership. Further reading: Further reading: