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Teens on a mission in bid to stop booze sales to under 18s



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Published Date: 30 May 2008
By IAN SWANSON
TEENAGE volunteers are to be used to check whether off-licences in the Capital are selling alcohol to under-age youngsters.
Lothian & Borders police officially launched their test purchasing scheme in Edinburgh today with the help of Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Sixteen-year-old volunteers have been recruited to go into off-licences and try to buy drink.

And shops which sell alcohol to under-18s could end up losing their licence.

The scheme was trialled in Fife and test purchasing has been under way in West Lothian since the end of last year.

Police say the aim is to ensure off-licences ask for ID to make sure customers are 18 or over before selling them alcohol.

The test purchasing scheme will allow police to target action against premises they believe are selling drink to under-age people.

Shops failing the test will be reported to the procurator fiscal and the licensing board.

Mr MacAskill, said: "We know that too many under-18s are drinking alcohol. A simple walk through a park or down the street on a Friday night is evidence of that.

"To tackle this we need to make sure they can't buy alcohol. That's why we've rolled out the national test purchasing scheme.

"Responsible licensees have nothing to fear. Adopting a 'can't tell, don't sell' policy is the best option.

"This is about protecting our young people and tackling under age drinking. I hope this can help make sure young people in Edinburgh are not able to buy alcohol."

Figures published earlier this month showed that in 2005-06, just five people were prosecuted in 2005-06 for selling alcohol to under-18s.

Superintendent Lesley Clark, of Lothian and Borders police, said the force was working in partnership with the licensed trade to tackle the problem of underage drinking and alcohol-related youth disorder.

She said: "A good deal of the antisocial behaviour that our communities face is caused by the consumption of alcohol by persons under 18 years of age and by utilising the approach of test purchasing we are taking pro-active steps to reducing the supply of alcohol to young people."

She said all offences would be reported to the procurator fiscal and licensing boards.

"This is an intelligence led initiative that will target problematic premises and areas," she said.

"I would encourage any member of the public with information concerning licensed premises selling alcohol to persons under 18 to contact their local police station.

"This information will be acted on in determining the locations of test purchasing operations designed to tackle antisocial behaviour and make communities safer for all."


The full article contains 450 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 30 May 2008 1:58 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Alcohol & binge drinking
 
1

alex paterson,

embra 30/05/2008 12:12:48
Very good and when they get served how much will they declare to the polis,lets party.
2

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 12:21:06
They are breaking the law by buying or attempting to buy alcohol if they are under 18.

The police are not able to authorise people to break the law in this manner, as they can do with other laws such as road traffic laws.

Besides this fact, what they are planning is a campaign of blatent entrapment and I sincerely hope that anyone caught out by this fights it all the way.
3

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

30/05/2008 12:26:04
Its obviuosly legal PetrolHead or do you have a massive backroom team of crack lawyers at your disposal ?
4

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

, Newington 30/05/2008 12:30:30
This is just a waste of time and money when, as we've seen in these hallowed pages, our witless Licensing Committee will only suspend a licence rather than remove it for good.
5

ConnorD,

30/05/2008 12:34:33
#2 Actually, Fuel Head has a popint which would be tested well in law, if it gets to that stage. There are many people who feel uneasy about the entrapment approach.
Having said that, wouldn't the police be better employed being seen, being seen to supervise ALL licensed premises and being seen to mount a robust objection to lawbreakers who are called before the Licensing Committee. All thse things were done away with during the last 20 years when senior police officers tried to "soften" the appraoch of the police to crime and to try the dangerous game of trying to encourage a European cafe society.
There are far too many outlets for the sale of alcohol which go unsupervised and unchecked and the Licensing Committee would be better served by trying to limit over supply. At one time it was the specialist shop or the off sales door of the pub but now every paper shop, garage, post office or general store seems to have a licence to peddle booze. And some of the blame for this current epidemic must rest with the authorities including the police, council and courts.
The "initiative" from Superintendent Clark is little more that a short term, copy cat soundbite. Oh, and has she tried contacting her local police station? Its either shut, you can't get through or are diverted to the Call Centre where, of course, your call is very important!?!
6

SDRAWKCAB,

edinburgh 30/05/2008 12:36:29
don't forget the kids in all of this... they will just get their big brother or someone like that to buy it for them. give them some credit.
7

ConnorD,

30/05/2008 12:38:16
PS - there must be some arrangement with the Lord Advocate which would allow such a test purchasing scheme to go ahead. The police have no power whatever to "allow" someone to commit an offence unless specifically exempted by statute, particularly before the offence is actually committed.
8

familymanwith2jobsandawifeworkingfulltime,

EDinburgh 30/05/2008 12:52:01
Under age drinking has been going on for years. However when my generation did it nearly thirty years ago, we were out of sight. There was such a law (and surely there still is) called "Under Age Drinking" I remember one of my friends getting charged with this. He got hell from his parents and that put and end to his drinking until he was 18. How an earth are these kids getting away with drinking in public and in front of the police? Its the same with anything in life, if people are allowed to get away with something, they will continue to do so.
9

High Lines Jambo,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 13:29:10
Kids these days! Personally, I blame the skateboard culture.
10

Rambo_the_Jambo,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 13:51:54
# 3 The Genuine Mario Antoinette

Crack lawyers????

My god, lawyers who deal in crack?

I Can't Believe It's a Law Firm.
11

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 13:54:51
Mario,

You are assuming a lot there. With the road traffic act, there are specific exemptions for police officers and riders which say things along the lines of "unless directed to do so by a police officer".

In the acts which cover licencing, there are no such exemptions for under age purchasing of drink. Yes, a police officer can order premises selling alocohol to close if required but that is more or less all. The extracts from the licencing act are plain to see as they have to be posted by law in every outlet. Look at them next time you are in a pub. They clearly state that those under 18 may not buy or attempt to buy alcohol. They do not add a rider saying "unless authorised by a police officer"

If this is illegal, it woun't be the first time the authorities have twisted the law round to suit themselves and it probably won't be the last.

The entrapment situation is clear. If the kid hadn't been ordered by police to attempt a purchase, the offence would not have been committed. The police should be out on the ground enforcing the law, not devising sneaky little illegal schemes to catch people out.
12

Hooly Chunk,

Buying Bucky 30/05/2008 14:01:49
With the Hootsmoun, EN and the BBC all punting this story surely it gives the shops that have been selling to underagers a handy heads up that for the next wee while ask for ID from all except Granny Broon when she's in buying het sweet sherry.

Then when the follow up report in the same papers comes out saying the exercise brought x number of shops to justice, they can go back to selling to underagers again - just a thought!
13

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 14:02:58
ConnorD:

"Arrangements with the Lord Advocate" are still not the law. Effectively, if what you say is true, the crown are effectively offering to do a "deal" with the police and the kids in return for evidence. the legal term for this is Prosecutorial immunity or Queens Evidence.

If this is the case then the kids ARE breaking the law so we have a situation here whereby the kids are being instructed to break the law by the police in order to execute an entrapment. Whichever way you look at it, it doesn't make pretty reading does it?
14

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

30/05/2008 14:08:01
13

Bampot
15

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 14:47:23
Mario,

If you haven't got anything constructive to say, leave us all alone.
16

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

30/05/2008 15:38:35
Sorry dude, i take it back. My impersonator was winding me up badly today but its not your fault.
17

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

30/05/2008 15:45:49
"The entrapment situation is clear. If the kid hadn't been ordered by police to attempt a purchase, the offence would not have been committed."

On the interweb, policemen pretend to be 11 year old girls to entrap paedophiles. "That's unfair" hasn't so far proved to be a successful defence.


18

alex paterson,

embra 30/05/2008 16:20:09
#10
Mario know all the crack heads,well at least his neighbours.
19

ConnorD,

30/05/2008 16:38:54
#13 - I agree to an extent but the Lord Advocate can issue instructions through the Crown Office to the Police which allows them not to report offences like you describe. The failure to do this was the rock on which the prostitution tolerance zone failed in Leith. The police have no power at all to instruct kids to break the law or to refrain from enforcing the law in a blanket operation like this unless they have that protection from the Lord Advocate.
Whatever else may be the case, this whole "initiative" is dodgy legally. And I still think it will be a 5 minute headline grabber anyway.
20

Lou Reed,

30/05/2008 18:38:05
I cant beleive that their advertising this campaign. The Local shops will just stop selling booze to under age kids for a few weeks. Then it will be business as usual.
21

is it me?,

Edinburgh 30/05/2008 20:28:41
#12 Hooly Chunk
I'll just get my Grannie Smith to buy my Buckie.

I'm the apple of her eye.
22

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

30/05/2008 22:07:17
Bumch of drug additced morons that think this little website is the place to moan at.
23

Julian,

EDINBURGH 31/05/2008 00:10:58
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

If they are breaking the law, who the hell cares? It sounds to me like a darn good idea to catch these ilegal traders out.

Presumably you're against police officers who attempt to buy drugs, fake passports and passes into child porn websites.

If we all lived in your world, most of the criminals would never get caught.

I'm sure you're wrong anyway. We see these types of sting operations going on all the time. I suspect there is probably some sort of exemption.
24

Urban Guerrilla,

Edinburgh 31/05/2008 15:36:20
I'll bet the volunteers are disgusting little creeps. We used to call people like them "clypes" and "sooks".
25

Douglas,

Bathgate 31/05/2008 18:53:37
"Teen snoops to spy on drink sales"
Looks like The Scotsman/Evening News agrees with you.
26

Urban Guerrilla,

Edinburgh 31/05/2008 19:27:56
> Looks like The Scotsman/Evening News agrees with you.

I know. It's worrying!
27

Bigwull,

edinburgh 03/06/2008 08:38:07
these can't be normal teens, politiciams of the future I think
28

Bigwull,

edinburgh 03/06/2008 08:38:40
oops politicians

 

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