Six licensed premises in North Lanarkshire have been reported for selling alcohol to proxy purchasers in a campaign to reduce the number of adults who buy alcohol for under 18s.
The campaign is jointly co-ordinated by the Scottish Government Alcohol Industry Partnership (SGAIP), the North Lanarkshire Community Safety Partnership and Police Scotland.
A further 38 offences were detected, relating to adults attempting to purchase alcohol for under 18s.
Pavement graffiti is now in place at locations where proxy purchasers have been caught to deter adults from buying alcohol for under 18s. The graffiti warns passers-by of the consequences of proxy purchase and has been created with eco-friendly paint that can be power washed off.
Police Scotland are upping patrols in areas where proxy purchase is known to take place, as the crack-down on alcohol purchases for under 18s continues.
John Lee, Chair of the SGAIP Campaigns Group, said: “We’re already seeing the impact of the campaign throughout North Lanarkshire. Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to raise awareness of the consequences to help reduce the number of attempted alcohol purchases for under 18s.”
Inspector Alistair Anderson at Police Scotland warned that underage drinking and its associated antisocial behaviour would not be tolerated. He added: “Those who are asked to buy alcohol for under 18s need to be aware of the consequences of their actions and know that we are cracking down on attempted purchases.”
The campaign will run in North Lanarkshire until the end of summer. Learnings and successes from it will shape future campaigns across Scotland.
