Under-age drinkers targeted

Under-age boozers are to be targeted in a new crackdown after it was revealed one in three of a Staffordshire city's youngsters drink alcohol.

Education chiefs have launched the campaign on under-age drinking across Lichfield, following the results of a survey.

Now community leaders want to work with the city's youngsters to teach them about a safe approach to alcohol - and cut-down on booze-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Staffordshire County Council's recently appointed 'under-age drinking tsar' Martin Wilcock.

And he wants to slash the number of 11-to-15-year-olds in Lichfield who drink by five per cent by next February. The county-wide survey saw school pupils quizzed, and revealed many of the city's youths regularly drink.

Other reports have also said areas of Lichfield have suffered a 250 per cent increase in incidents of alcohol related anti-social behaviour, with places such as Burntwood, Mile Oak and Alrewas among the worst affected.

Mr Wilcock said that the strategy to reduce under-age drinking in Lichfield was well underway.

"My role is to work with various agencies, including schools, to try to give young people the right skills and information to make healthy choices about when and how much to drink," he said.

But Mr Wilcock said it was 'unrealistic' to expect young people to simply stop drinking altogether - and so the campaign would teach them the dangers.

"We are not under any illusions," he added. "Many young people do not choose to drink, but for some it is a rite of passage.

"What we are trying to do is educate young people and their parents, because they have a major part to play in this, about how to make healthy choices about alcohol."

Councillor Matthew Ellis, who sits on both the county and district councils, said there were 'huge issues' with under-age drinking in the district, particularly in Burntwood and increasingly in Alrewas.

"I fully applaud efforts to actually do something about this as long, as it is not simply lip service, as so often happens" he said.

"There has to be a real connection made with the young people.

"It is a massive problem and in some areas, while it is not quite out of control, it is not far off that."

He added it needed a multi-agency approach to provide youngsters with activities in the area and also to educate them about the effects of alcohol from an early age.