The drive to tackle the number of underage people getting drunk continued today with the Scotland-wide roll out of the test purchasing scheme.

The scheme will see the Police deploy 16 year old volunteers to attempt to buy alcohol in licensed premises across Scotland to help make sure under age people can't purchase alcohol.

It will allow police to target action against premises they believe are selling alcohol to under age people. The national roll out follows a successful pilot in Fife.

Shopkeepers who do sell alochol to people who are underage can lose their licence as happened with seven premises in Fife.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "The effects of Scotland's cultural problem with alcohol can be seen on our streets, in our prisons and in our hospitals. Doctors are telling us that younger people are being diagnosed with liver problems and the police are telling us that people drinking on the streets are getting younger.

"This Government is not prepared to stand by and watch this happen. That's why police across Scotland will now be able - in a strictly controlled way - to deploy 16 year olds to test whether or not premises are complying with the law.

"This is designed to enforce the law, and to let the police take intelligence led, targeted action to crackdown on irresponsible people who are letting youngsters buy alcohol. The police will also be watching out for those who are old enough to buy alcohol but supply it to people who aren't - which is also illegal.

"Responsible licensees have nothing to fear from this. But those who flout the law will face swift and tough action, losing their licence and substantial fines are both options. I expect Licensing Boards to deal appropriately with those who are caught - we need to take decisive action to stop young people being able to buy alcohol."

A 16 year old male who took part in the pilot said: "It was really good to be able to help the police, but I couldn't believe how easy it was to get alcohol from some of the shops - they didn't even ask my age."

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC said: "It is vital that young people are protected from those who are willing to break the law for profit, by selling alcohol to people under the age of 18. The consumption of alcohol by young people poses a clear threat to their own health. It is also identified by ACPOS as a clear factor in crime and disorder in many of our communities.

"Procurators Fiscal in Scotland have been issued with guidance to make sure that these cases are treated consistently across Scotland, and that prosecutors play their part in getting the message across that the sale of alcohol to underage children and young people is totally unacceptable."

Lothian and Borders Assistant Chief Constable Ian Dickinson, who has lead responsibility within the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland for test purchase operations, said: "It is universally acknowledged that excessive alcohol consumption has a negative and adverse effect upon crime, anti-social behaviour, road casualties, the health of our communities at large, upon the development and safety of our youth and generally raises the fear of crime. Youth disorder and alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour are key concerns of communities across Scotland and are priorities for those responsible for community safety within Police Forces.

"Many of the problems associated with such conduct are directly attributable to the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol by persons under 18 years of age. These youths are obviously obtaining alcohol with ease and, in many cases, purchasing alcohol in contravention of the Licensing (Scotland) Act, 1976 at local off sales premises. Accordingly, there is an absolute need to reduce the supply of alcohol to young persons.

"The Scottish Police Service now has the ability to carry out alcohol test purchases. This will be used in an intelligence led manner to target problematic premises and areas. The scheme will involve test purchasing at licensed premises using 'underage' youths to attempt to purchase alcohol, thereby testing the integrity of the staff regarding their compliance with the legislation. We will actively pursue, detect and report all licensing offences and other issues to the appropriate Procurators Fiscal and Licensing Boards.

"The initiative will adhere to strict protocols, ensuring alcohol test purchasing is carried out safely, fairly and effectively, and enjoys the full support of Scottish Government, the Lord Advocate, the Criminal Justice System and each of the Licensing Boards across Scotland.

"On receipt of a report from the Police regarding an offence detected through a test purchase operation Procurators Fiscal may consider prosecution and the Licensing Boards may consider imposing sanctions against the licence holder.

"ACPOS firmly believes that licensees are our partners in tackling the problems associated with underage drinking and we have asked for their full support in progressing this initiative. Therefore, young persons can expect extra diligence from sales staff, who have been advised that if they 'Can't tell? Don't sell!'

"We are aware that licensed premises staff can find themselves intimidated by youths who attempt to purchase alcohol and Forces are keen to offer support in this regard. Accordingly, should licensees wish further guidance or information regarding the Test Purchase of Alcohol scheme I would ask them to contact their local Force Licensing Section."

Angus Maciver, Group Marketing and Communications Director at Morrisons said: "We are pleased to support the government and the police on the national launch of the Test Purchase scheme.

"We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously. We recognise the need to be highly vigilant in the sale of alcohol and do all we can to ensure we do not sell to anyone underage, having robust procedures in place to detect and prevent potential under age purchases."

Councilor John Cochrane, who chairs West Lothian Licensing Board, welcomed the initiative. "Using volunteers to make test purchases helps to weed out the minority who will sell alcohol to young people without thinking about the consequences," he said. "There is a very clear message for every licensee to make absolutely certain that they and their staff are checking the age of people who are buying alcohol. They have to ask themselves is it really worth losing their license just because they didn't verify a young person's age?"

Gregor Urquhart, Communications Director at Young Scot, said: "At Young Scot we talk to young people every day and we know that underage drinking and the effect it can have on their health is a major concern for the vast majority of young people. Young Scot is working with organisations such as the British Retail Consortium and Scottish local authorities on the Proof Of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) to help tackle the issue of under-age sales. The inclusion of the PASS hologram on the majority of Young Scot National Entitlement Cards has been a crucial part of the card's popularity with young people, as they can use it to get access to goods and services they have the right to get."

Morrisons employs a number of procedures to ensure it meets all legal requirements and fulfils its social obligation. These include 'Task 21'- requesting 'proof of age' documentation from customers believed to be under 21, dedicated and intensive staff training to ensure that alcohol is not sold to those below the legal age, using till prompts to help checkout operators identify all age-restricted products, and featuring the Drink Aware logo on all of our alcohol related materials and website, plus Retail Alcohol Standards Group point of sale at purchase points and on shelf within stores.

Practical guide to test purchasing [3]

Evaluation of Fife pilots [4]