North Yorkshire Police to highlight alcohol safety and health issues
The force's Licensing Team is holding roadshows this week
North Yorkshire Police’s Licensing Team is holding roadshows this week across the force area as part of a national effort to highlight alcohol safety and health issues.
The Community Alcohol Partnership’s (CAP) ‘Alcohol Awareness Week’ also coincides with Safeguarding Week.
The Licensing Team is running a series of CAP Roadshows to actively engage with residents, educating and raising awareness about community, family and personal harms caused by alcohol consumption.
This will encompass the following issues which are all geared towards an early intervention and prevention approach:
• VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls)
• WAVE (Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement) training
• Domestic abuse
• Road safety
• Water safety
• ‘Challenge 25’ age verification scheme
• Proxy alcohol sales – tackling adults who purchase alcohol for children
There will also be multi-agency events with retailers Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl along with Citizens Advice, North Yorkshire Youth, Inspire Youth, trading standards, borough, district, town and parish councils, community safety hubs and licensing, North Yorkshire Horizons (drug and alcohol recovery service) and the Papyrus suicide prevention charity.
The Royal Military Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Neighbourhood Policing Teams and the Roads Policing Group will be on hand to support the activities.
Sergeant Kate Barrett, from North Yorkshire Police’s Licensing Team, said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing plenty of people at our CAP Roadshows during Alcohol Awareness Week.
“We’ll be handing out fun books for kids, stickers, and trolly coins with the message that buying alcohol for someone aged under 18 is a crime.
“We also have lots of information leaflets for parents and interactive activities supplied by the CAP, such as driving remote control cars while wearing ‘beer goggles’ and showing what an alcohol damaged liver looks like.
“This is all about promoting healthy and safe relationships with alcohol, as well as reducing alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities.”
CAP Roadshow and related events (times and locations)
• Monday 20 June - Westborough/Huntriss Row in Scarborough, 10am-4pm
• Tuesday 21 June – Catterick Garrison, Tesco, 9am– 4pm
• Wednesday 22 June - Richmond Market Place, 10am-2pm
• Also on Wednesday between 10am and 3pm, Selby District Council and the Licensing Team are holding a joint ‘Day of Action’. This will involve WAVE and ‘Ask for Angela’ training session at Civic Centre, followed by engagement visits to premises
• Thursday 23 June - Ripon Market Place, 10am-2pm
• Friday 24 June - Northallerton CAP launch with a promotional stall on the High Street/Applegarth during the day
If you have any information relating to the supply of alcohol to young people or street drinking, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room.
More details on the harms underage drinking can lead to are available at www.drinkaware.co.uk and www.communityalcoholpartnerships.co.uk.