Scotch Whisky Association Donates Almost $400,000 to Combat Underage Drinking
The Scotch Whisky Association donated nearly $400,000 to combat underaged drinking in Scotland. (AP Photo/Thomas Unterberger)
On Monday, the Scotch Whisky Association announced it is donating £300,000 ($382,690) through an initiative called the Scotch Whisky Action Fund. The initiative is in tandem with Community Alcohol Partnerships to combat underage drinking in Scotland.
“Although alcohol consumption by children has declined for many years, more recent data has shown an increase and Scotland still has one of the highest rates of alcohol harm among children and young people internationally,” CAP chair Derek Lewis said in a news release.
The organizations intend to focus on areas identified as “high harm.”
Through an action plan, CAP and SWA will attempt to curb underage alcohol use by providing alcohol education in schools — for both parents and students. CAP and the SWA additionally intend to encourage positive activities for children and train retailers on underage liquor sale prevention including proxy purchases.
“The Scotch Whisky industry is committed to promoting safe, responsible consumption of alcohol, and tackling underage drinking,” Scotch Whisky Association Chief Executive Mark Kent said in the news release. “Our new partnership with Community Alcohol Partnerships will help support delivery of this targeted intervention, marking an important and valuable development in the industry’s wider commitment to tackling alcohol harm.”
Drinkaware reported in November 2021 that young drinkers in Scotland are more likely to be “high-risk drinkers.” Statistics show that 34% of high-risk drinkers are between the ages of 18-34, whereas within the UK the statistic hovers at a lower 26%.
In May 2022, the World Health Organization claimed that online marketing techniques needed to be regulated because they targeted younger demographics.
“Alcohol robs young people, their families and societies of their lives and potential,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adanom said. “Yet despite the clear risks to health, controls on the marketing of alcohol are much weaker than for other psychoactive products. Better, well enforced and more consistent regulation of alcohol marketing would both save and improve young lives across the world.”
CAP appears to have a track record of reducing underage drinking. The Scottish Financial News reported that over 250 CAPs were established across the UK and have a proven track record of reducing regular drinking among 13-to-16-year-olds by 62%. More impressively, they have cut down on proxy purchases — when an adult purchases alcohol for a minor – by 77%.
“The existing Scottish CAPs have already demonstrated real success in reducing these harms by helping local communities introduce action plans tailored to their own needs,” Lewis concluded.
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