Two North Edinburgh police officers have been given a Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) award for their work in tackling underage drinking and promoting health and wellbeing matters among young people.
PC Lauren Mitchell and PC Anna Morrison each received an outstanding contribution award at a ceremony held in Westminster.
Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said: “They have both done a huge amount of work to engage with local young people and warn them of the dangers and consequences of underage drinking, even giving up their rest days to continue this work. Among many of their initiatives, I was particularly struck with their idea of placing QR codes in known drinking hotspots which encouraged youngsters to click on with their mobile phones to gain more information.
My heartfelt congratulations Lauren and Anna – you are making a real difference to young people’s lives and we are very grateful to you.”
Since CAP was created 15 years ago, more than 250 schemes have been launched in England, Scotland and Wales. They bring together local stakeholders with a shared interest in preventing underage drinking and encouraging responsible drinking among young adults. CAP partnerships are made up of retailers, local authorities, police, schools, neighbourhood groups and health providers, working together to protect young people from alcohol harm.
CAP’s annual report, launched at the celebration event, shows how this innovative partnership approach has brought significant reductions to children’s drinking, anti-social behaviour and underage sales in areas where it has created local partnerships.
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