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A new Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) highlighting the risks of underage drinking to children and young people is set to launch in Lower Rhymney Valley. The official launch will take place on Monday 24th March 2025 at Tesco Ystrad Mynach in Lower Rhymney.

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CAPs are partnerships between police, local authorities, schools, and retailers who work together to highlight the risks of underage drinking and improve the health and wellbeing of local children and young people.  Partners in the new CAP include:  Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership, Caerphilly County Borough Council, schools, retailers and the community.

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The Lower Rhymney CAP will work to educate young people about underage drinking and help them to make better decisions about issues such as alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.  

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Working with local retailers, the CAP also aims to prevent underage sales and ‘proxy’ sales, where adults buy alcohol for under-18s.

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A spokesperson for the Community Safety team said: “We are looking forward to continuing and broadening our work with CAP. Working together with other local partnerships, we are aiming to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, whilst improving their wellbeing and aspirations. We would like to thank Heolddu Comprehensive School, Lewis School Pengam, for their participation in the foundation work to this project and assisting us in capturing the views and needs of the young people within this area of the borough.”

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Kate Winstanley, Director of CAP said “We know from extensive research that underage drinking can lead to lots of challenges for young people in their education, relationships, health and also in later life.  We also know that the work CAPs do in local communities can help reduce things like the supply of alcohol to children, alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and underage street drinking.  That’s why it’s great to see local partners coming together in this new CAP to highlight the risks of underage drinking and reduce alcohol harm among our young people.”  

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She continued: “We are looking forward to seeing the initiatives that the CAP is working on and to making an impact in the local community.”

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