2 days ago
If you're thinking of buying alcohol for someone under 18, It'll Cost You. You could face a £5000 fine, prison
As the school holidays come around once again, the streets and shops are likely to be filled with young people looking for ways to keep themselves entertained.
For some under 18s, that means finding ways to consume alcohol. One of the most common tactics used by young people to access alcohol is by asking an adult to buy it for them.
Known as a proxy purchase, it's an offence in Scotland for an adult to buy, or attempt to buy, alcohol for someone who is under the age of 18. For those who do it, the consequences are severe.
Any adult who commits this offence can face a fine of up to £5,000, a prison sentence of up to three months, or both.
The It'll Cost You campaign is being delivered in partnership with Police Scotland, the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP), and Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) and is supported by the Scottish Government. It aims to protect children from harm, reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, and make communities safer.
The SAIP is a platform for the Scottish alcohol industry to support, devise, and deliver initiatives that contribute towards the promotion of responsible consumption and tackle harmful drinking.
Think before you buy that drink
When outside a shop, someone under the age of 18 could stop and ask you to go inside and buy them alcohol.
If you don't want to risk getting a fine of up to £5,000, a prison sentence of up to three months, or both, then it's important to remember to do these three things if you are approached:
Politely say no to the young person who has approached you
Let the shop manager know immediately
Inform the police by calling 101, giving them details of when and where you were asked
It is also important to remember that detecting a proxy purchase is not easy. Retailers are the first line of defence in tackling this issue, and it can place staff in a vulnerable position, being subject to abuse when refusing a sale.
The It'll Cost You campaign is full of advice and resources. It provides retailers with guidance on detecting a proxy purchase and highlights the risks for young people who may inadvertently place themselves in dangerous or vulnerable situations by asking.
Shop only for yourself
Those approached to make a proxy purchase are generally targeted around shops that sell alcohol.
That's why the important It'll Cost You campaign messages are delivered in-store via posters, door and window stickers, digital displays, and in-store radio adverts.
Of course, no modern-day campaign would be complete without a social media element with essential campaign messages being shared on Facebook and Instagram.
If all that doesn't get the message across clearly enough, another vital part of the It'll Cost You campaign is having feet on the streets.
Police Scotland Youth Volunteers can be seen in-store and at local events supporting the campaign by handing out leaflets and putting down pavement stencils with the campaign message.
Based on the success of the previous year's campaign, Police Scotland, SAIP, and CAP hope that the important messages will deter young people from asking over 18s to make a proxy purchase and prevent adults from making one.
Remember, if you buy alcohol for someone under the age of 18, It'll Cost You.
