AN INITIATIVE dedicated to reducing underage drinking by challenging adults who buy alcohol for under 18s is expected to be launched nationally.

“You’re Asking For It” was first piloted in Motherwell and Wishaw in 2015 after being developed by the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP) and Scottish Government with Police Scotland and representatives from North Lanarkshire Council.

In 2018 the Greater Glasgow Licensing Department ran a trial through the summer holiday period.

The campaign aims to tackle underage drinking by targeting the adults who “ask for it” and ultimately raise awareness that the proxy purchase is a criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £5000 or up to three months imprisonment.

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The aim is to help reduce proxy purchases of alcohol for under 18s, anti-social behaviour, make communities safer and protect children and young persons from harm.

The areas to run the trial across Glasgow were identified through analytical work of the eight command areas within Greater Glasgow division to determine proxy purchase hot spot areas.

This allowed for the areas needing the campaign the most to be focused on.

Glasgow South East saw an overall reduction of 41 per cent following “You’re Asking for It.”

During the 2018 school summer holiday period, there were 354 reported incidents involving youths and alcohol compared to 610 incidents during the same period in 2017.

In Glasgow North there was an overall reduction of four per cent.

During the 2018 school summer holiday period, there were 454 reported incidents involving youths and alcohol compared to 474 incidents during the same period of 2017

Glasgow North West saw a 50 per cent reduction.

In the 2018 summer holiday there were 493 reported incidents involving youths and alcohol compared to 984 incidents during the previous same period in 2017.

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Target audiences include anyone over the age of 18 including parents, older siblings, friends and members of the general public, who under 18s may approach to buy alcohol for them.

Police want under 18s to understand that not only are there serious consequences for the adults they ask to make a purchase for them, their actions my inadvertently place them in dangerous or vulnerable situations.

A report written by Chief Constable Iain Livingstone and submitted to Glasgow City Council said: “Due to the success of the campaign, a proposal has now been submitted to roll out the campaign nationally in 2019 in partnership between Police Scotland and the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership.”