A new Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) has been launched in Stornoway to address the issue of underage drinking in the local community.

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CAPs are community-led partnerships which bring together local police, councils, schools, retailers, and community groups. Their primary goal is to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, improve their health and well-being, and enhance the wider community. Partners in the local CAP include: Police Scotland, Western Isles Pubwatch, Co-op, Action for Children, Hotspot Intervention Team, Comhairle nan Eilean Sar and Stornoway North Community Development.

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The CAP in Stornoway will work to educate young people about underage drinking and help them to make better decisions about issues such as alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

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It will achieve this through several measures,including:

• Working closely with local retailers to enforce regulations and prevent the illegal sale of alcohol to minors. This includes stopping illegal “proxy sales” where adults purchase alcohol for individuals under 18, and ensuring all retailers comply with the Challenge 25 policy.
• By providing positive and engaging activities for young people, offering them safe, supervised environments to socialise. These activities are a crucial part of the CAP strategy, providing an excellent opportunity to deliver alcohol education in an informal setting.

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The impact of CAPs has been measured and proven. Nationwide, partnerships have led to reductions in regular drinking among 13-16-year-olds and in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour. 

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Steven Cooper, Co-op Stornoway Store Manager, said: “As a responsible community retailer we are committed to supporting community-led CAP partnerships which bring together local police, councils, schools, retailers, and community groups. We have robust processes in place, and the partnership has a focus on educating young people about underage drinking, improving their health and well-being and addressing issues of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in our communities. We are pleased to partner with the CAP in Stornoway, and by working together support the positive difference the initiative can make locally.”

Kate Winstanley, Director of CAP said “We know from extensive research that underage drinking can lead to lots of challenges for young people in their education, relationships, health and increased risk of alcohol-related harm in later life.  CAP has proved to be a successful model for tackling underage drinking and just as importantly promoting positive health and wellbeing in children and young people. Our evidence shows that CAPs are extremely effective in reducing the supply of alcohol to children, underage alcohol consumption and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour."

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“That’s why it’s great to see local partners coming together in Stornoway to highlight the risks of underage drinking and reduce alcohol harm among local children and young people.”   

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She continued: “We are looking forward to seeing the initiatives that the CAP is working on and to making a positive difference to the local community.” 

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ENDS

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For media information, please contact: Samantha Patel, Communications Manager - sam@communityalcoholpartnerships.co.uk.