Yaf Report Final

The Report of the

In association with John Mann MP

From the Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum “If this report can present real evidence to the right people and turn a few heads in Westminister along the way, then it's achieved its purpose”

Young people are often portrayed as being hoodie-wearing, binge-drinking, knifewielding louts. This report from the Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum shows that, in the vast majority of cases, this is inaccurate.

Zac Collingham, Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Panel Most young people are sensible, respectful and keen to engage. There are issues with young people and alcohol but these need to be kept in perspective. Responsibility falls on schools, on parents, on the alcohol industry, on Government, and on young people themselves. So what can be done? This report presents a series of clear recommendations that provide a path to a healthier society. Key is the idea that issues around youth and alcohol are not just one group’s responsibility, but that all those involved need to come together. The main areas examined in this report are: Keeping the age limit for buying alcohol the same   Focussing on real problems, not myths like drinking in schools  Parental responsibility Education that starts earlier and is based on issues of self respect   Better facilities for young people and better access to them Stronger street controls  Making it more difficult to illegally serve and buy alcohol   Drink driving The Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Panel came together following the Bassetlaw Citizenship Summer School, organised by John Mann MP. After the school a number of students came together to form the Alcohol Youth Forum, working alongside their MP. This report is the culmination of a year’s work, during which the panel interviewed a series of high profile witnesses and gathered written evidence from their peers through a detailed survey.

The Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum have worked hard over the last year to produce their report. Their interviews of senior public figures, including the Drug and Alcohol Minister Vernon Coaker MP and local journalist Tracy Powell, were as good as I have seen in Parliament. The forum members showed a clear commitment to ideas based on the facts. More than this, they have shown that young people will, given the chance, work together to provide real ideas for solving the problems we face in society. Throughout they have worked constructively, and in their own time. But what is really excellent about these young people is that they have provided substantial policies that should and will be looked at in detail by Government and wider society. These young people are making a difference.

We see no reason why the age that alcohol is legally available should change. Changing the age that alcohol can legally be bought will not help the problem: that many young people do not drink sensibly. Many young people get their alcohol legally, though their parents in

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homes. Our survey shows that there is little In our survey of 500 demand to lower or raise the age, and once people y o u n g Bassetlaw,

people two

in thirds

are 18 years old, there’s virtually no demand to want to see no change in the age at which they can change it at all. The alcohol industry develops products to entice

buy alcohol, and the same number feel that there is

young people to drink from an early age and it is a problem with underage

“Eighteen is a reasonable drinking age. Increasing it to twenty-one would probably make little difference” Tracy Powell, Worksop Guardian

The minimum age for buying alcohol should remain 18 years old Action should be taken on how and when alcohol is advertised. There  needs to be a watershed on alcohol advertising  The Alcohol Industry needs to take responsibility for its marketing and should take greater action to make sure its products are not aimed at young people  Government should take action if the Alcohol Industry continues to target young people 

''Young people need to take responsibility for their consumption of alcohol, but the Alcohol Industry and Government need to take responsibility for the current culture of underage drinking too.” Kieran Owen, Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

There is widespread public concern about drinking alcohol in schools, stemming from reports in national newspapers. We asked 500 young people in Bassetlaw to

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complete our anonymous survey. This clearly

Our survey shows that the

shows that drinking in school is not a problem—

idea

that

young

people

virtually no one has. The most common place that

often drink in school is a

young people drink is, perfectly legally, in their

myth. Alcohol is rarely taken into our schools.

home. In fact teachers are more likely to have a drink problem at

“The vast majority of young people are law abiding” Chief Constable Steve Green, Nottinghamshire Police

 

Policy needs to be evidence based, focussing on the places and people where drinking alcohol is problematic Government should give schools a clear bill of health with regard to young people drinking in schools

“It is the stereotypical view that students drink in school which lowers moral and strengthens the inaccurate view that most teenagers are yobs” Matthew Jones Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

The vast majority of parents know that their teenage children drink, but a third have never spoken to them about the dangers surrounding alcohol. A minority of parents do not seem to know about their teenage child’s use of alcohol, and many have not spoken to

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them about the dangers. Parents need to take

In Sweden, young people

more responsibility, but they also need better information so they know what the risks are.

found drunk are locked in a secure hospital, and by law they

have

to

attend

counselling classes.

“As many young people get alcohol from their parents, the parents need to take responsibility” Vernon Coaker MP Minister for Drugs and Alcohol

  

Parents need to be supplied with better information about the risks of alcohol, and how to approach their teenagers about the subject Parents should be compelled to be involved straight away when young people are found causing alcohol-related trouble New legislation should be introduced so parents of persistent offenders can be fined easily

“Directly involving parents straight away will maximise the impact on both the parent and child” Olwen Shaw Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

Young people need to be more informed about the impact of alcohol on their health. Education needs to be delivered in a way that young people can respect. Education on alcohol needs to start at an early age—ideally as a core part of education for Year Six in Primary Schools. We

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feel that such schemes are effective because

85 percent of young people

unlike PSHE it is delivered by the police. Alcohol education needs to be respected if it is going to

are not concerned about the affects of alcohol on their health.

be effective, and needs to be reinforced every year.

Those who are concerned about their health drink less.

“Youth services and teachers should involve more young people in alcohol education provisions” Kate Davies, Nottinghamshire DAAT

   

Alcohol education needs to start at Year Six, in Primary Schools It needs to be taught by people who can command respect from students to show the seriousness of the issue Education needs to be less fact based and more realistic Young people need to know their limits

“Harder action needs to be taken from an earlier age in schools with programmes such as DARE” James Rumsey, Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

Young people don’t have enough things to do, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas like Bassetlaw, where they rely on parents and public transport to get around. Teenagers want more independence, access to work and the ability to socialise with their peers. But there aren’t

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enough venues to meet at, and many, such as

Over half of young people

multiplexes, are out of reasonable travel distance.

who reported drinking in our survey,

drink

in

social

situations such as parties.

“There needs to be more investment in the prevention of alcohol related behaviour” Louise Newcombe, Bassetlaw PCT

 

 

More places where young people can socialise without alcohol More public transport during the evenings, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays, so young people can access out of town entertainment complexes. The biggest barrier at the moment is getting back safely in the evening. The Government should review public transport prices, making cheaper fares available to 17 and 18 year olds If local authorities fail to promote adequate services the Government should find others to provide it

“If we had more things to do, there would be less reasons for young

people to drink” Sam Bibb Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

Most anti-social drinking takes place on the streets and in public areas. This needs to be the focus for policy. Drinking in homes and bars does not cause great social problems. The government needs to be stricter on where the problems are real—in our streets and public areas.

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The greatest victims of young people drinking too

10 percent of young people

much are other young people, who are more

in Bassetlaw say they have

susceptible to theft and violence. Young people

been unjustly challenged by the police. We need to have

are far more likely to be stopped and moved on by

stronger street controls, but

the police than adults.

they

need

people

who

to

focus

are

on

actually

causing trouble.

“The biggest problem with alcohol is the anti-social behaviour it causes in our communities.” Vernon Coaker MP,

 



Drinking on our streets and in our public areas should be banned outright The police should use portable breathalysers to concentrate on those drinking in public places, not on every group of young people on the streets Community support officers should be given the authority to remove alcohol from underage and unruly drinkers

“Breathalysing is a good idea as it means young people can meet

their friends in public areas without being unjustly moved on,” Laura Dunk Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

Alcohol is very easy to get hold of. There needs to be a review of how alcohol is obtained, with possible requirement of a license to buy alcohol, in a similar vein to plans for buying tobacco products. Young people can get access to drink—sometimes through buying it illegally themselves from known outlets, but often

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through parents and older friends. Controlling

Half of young people get

who can buy alcohol would mean adults taking

alcohol from their parents

responsibility

for

their

actions,

with

the

with

t h ei r

p a r en t s

knowledge. One quarter are

possibility of losing their licence if they give it

bought alcohol specifically

illegally to under-18s. Shops would have no

for them by an older person.

excuse for not knowing who they shouldn’t sell

“Shops have to be more sophisticated. Claims that a purchaser looks over 21 are not an adequate excuse.” Chief Constable Steve Green, Nottinghamshire Police

  

Alcohol licenses should be more readily taken away if underage drinkers are illegally supplied Retailers should develop a more consistent framework of what ID they require. Schemes such as ‘Challenge 21’, where everyone who looks under 21 is asked for ID, are good, but need to be more widespread and consistent

“Current policies do not efficiently deter some small scale businesses from selling alcohol illegally” James Downend Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

Although 90 percent of young people say they would never get in a car driven by someone over the limit, 80 percent have. For many young people the driver was a parent. Better education about drink driving, what it means and the risks it creates, would give young people the self-respect to stand up and say ‘no’.

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Backing young people up with stronger penalties

The latest statistics show

against drink driving will make their argument

that

stronger. Ignoring

drink

driving is

far too

there

were

14,810

casualties caused by drink driving in 2006.

acceptable amongst young people.

“Drink driving is absolutely appalling—it doesn’t just endanger drivers’ lives, but those of people around them” Tracy Powell,





Education about drink driving should start at an early age, with a focus on giving young people the knowledge and self-respect to say they won’t get into a car driven by someone over the limit There needs to be stronger penalties for drink driving so the force of the law helps keep people out of drunk-driven cars

“When you drink drive you risk your own life and everyone around you. This is unacceptable and should be stamped out'” Rebecca Chislett Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum

This report was produced in 2008 for the Home Secretary by the Bassetlaw Youth Alcohol Forum. The members of the forum are: Matthew Baker Sam Bibb Jessica Chambers Rebecca Chislett Lucy Collier Zac Collingham James Downend Laura Dunk

Matthew Jones Katie McDonald Kiara Owen Kieran Owen Keysha Parker Niall Rogers James Rumsey Olwen Shaw Thomas Williams

The Forum would also like to thank Chief Constable Steve Green, Tracy Powell, Vernon Coaker MP, Louise Newcombe, Kate Davies, Donna Marie Donnelly, Valerie Woolf, Valley School, Portland School, Medan School, Serlby Park School, North Notts College, Crispin Acton, and the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP. © 2008