Alcohol-related crime and disorder by young people is currently estimated to cost society £1 billion per year. According to a schools survey, whilst the proportion of pupils who have never had an alcoholic drink has increased gradually in recent years, pupils who are drinking, are drinking a lot. Those who drank alcohol in the last week had a mean intake of 14.6 units. The proportion drinking on the street, in a park or somewhere else is also continuing to rise reaching 34% in 2008.

More than 3,500 young people were successfully targeted by the summer 2009 crackdown on teenage binge drinking and 15,000 were signposted to positive activities and received treatment where necessary. Nonetheless, there is more to be done and that is why The Home Office is introducing a tiered approach to dealing with young people drinking alcohol in public places, and a new offence of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place.

The guidance explains the offence of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place as contained in Section 30 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, which received Royal Assent on 13 November 2009. Section 30 establishes a new offence of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place, making it illegal for a person under the age of 18 to be in possession of alcohol on 3 or more occasions within a period of 12 consecutive months.

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Tags: Children's Services, Policy, Statutory