Views Wanted On Underage Drinking In Newtown

Residents and young people living in Newtown are being urged to give their views on underage drinking in the town as part of a survey. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The survey is being carried out by the Newtown Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP), which has been set up to tackle underage drinking in the town. There are two surveys, one for residents and the other for young people. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Newtown CAP is a partnership between several organisations including Powys County Council, Dyfed Powys Police, Powys Teaching Health Board, Public Health Wales, retailers, local schools and youth groups. It is backed by Community Alcohol Partnerships Ltd. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The aim of the partnership is to reduce the issues of crime, anti-social behaviour and harm caused by underage drinking. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Newtown CAP will be officially launched next month (November) and will become the second in the county, four years after Brecon CAP was launched, and only the fifth in Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr John Powell, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “The aim of the Newtown Community Alcohol Partnership is to make Newtown a safer and healthier place to live and work. It is all in our interests to promote a healthy attitude to the use of alcohol. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“To help the partnership develop and focus its work raising awareness of alcohol issues and developing support for young people, we have launched this survey. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The survey is completely anonymous and the views of residents and young people are important as the partnership works to tackle underage drinking in Newtown. I would urge people to take part in this survey.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Residents can take part in the online survey by visiting www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/776NFLF and the survey for young people aged between 13 and 17 can be found at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7D5CDRR. The closing date of the survey is Monday 31 October. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

If you have any information relating to the supply of alcohol to young people or street drinking, please contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 or email trading.standards@powys.gov.uk ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​