Fife News : Fife partnership targets local drinking culture

Community safety workers in the Kirkcaldy area are continuing the campaign to reduce antisocial behaviour and the harm caused by under age drinking to young people and the wider community.

A partnership group has been established, consisting of representatives from the statutory, voluntary and business sectors, to seek support for action to tackle local problems including the Friday night under age drinking culture and adults buying alcohol for under age people.  

This work has involved promoting weekend activities, attempting to reduce the availability of alcohol to under age drinkers through the test purchasing scheme, and targeting adults who buy drink for underage young people.

Chair of Kirkcaldy Area Committee Councillor Alice Soper praised the initiative on the work carried out.  'This is an excellent example of partnership working that has developed an innovative and proactive approach to reduce alcohol-related problems'.     

A total of eleven local off sales traders have signed up to a Code of Conduct which will include implementing a ‘Challenge 25' policy, standardising the forms of ID accepted in shops as well agreeing to work together to tackle antisocial behaviour in the area.  The stores who have signed up to this initiative are; AA Brothers, Co-op, David Sands, Fair Deal Food Store, Forres Store, HMR Premier, Malkha's, Shop & Save, Spar, St Kilda's Licensed Grocers and Valley Grocers.

Local trader, Waseem Akhtar of Fair Deal, said, "I think it's great that efforts are being made to improve the area, in particularly tackling the misuse of alcohol.  It's good to see that local traders are being involved as part of the solution rather than being seen as part of the problem."

The Clued Up project based in Kirkcaldy, as a specialist young person's service, is one of the youth work organisations who have been supporting the initiative. Project manager Laura Crombie said, "Our service provides support, advice and information to young people on a range of drug and alcohol issues.A lot of the young people, who we work with, drink alcohol on a Friday night and can be putting themselves at risk.

We've been involved with this project from the start and by backing the Code of Conduct we hope to see a reduction in the number of young people drinking alcohol, an increase in their knowledge of the dangers and keeping safe and an increased number of young people taking part in the positive activities on offer to them"

Inspector Steven Hamilton of Kirkcaldy Police said, "This is a very exciting initiative and I am pleased that this is being piloted in the Kirkcaldy North area. Whilst the focus will inevitably be on the responsible sale of alcohol, the group has been very involved in promoting positive activities for young people at times and places attractive to them. Changing the alcohol culture is a long term challenge but we're confident that we can start to have an impact in the area with the on-going support of the local traders, agencies and communities."

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