Council blocks plans to offer sixth-formers alcohol

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in Hertfordshire has rejected an application lodged by a local school to serve alcoholic drinks to 16 to 18-year-olds.

Girls-only private school Queenswood in Hatfield applied to introduce a system of vouchers for alcoholic drinks at certain evening social events.

As reported by local media outlet Welwyn Hatfield Times, the school’s head of catering and lettings Stephanie Hall told a council sub-committee meeting last week that the plan was to provide pupils with the means to drink up to two glasses of beer, cider or wine during dinners held at the school around three times a year, provided their parents gave permission.

Deputy head Ceri Stokes argued that it would in fact be “educational”, both in terms of encouraging moderation, but also preparing pupils to say ‘no’ to alcohol when it is offered to them outside of school.

“It won’t be seen as ‘you’re not drinking, why are you not drinking’, because that’s really our purpose, to make it so they’re learning skills,” claimed Stokes. “We’ve got some girls who have never had to say no and have that kind of situation where you’ve got the back-up phone call of having a friend ring you and say you’ve got to go now. We’ve got to give them little tools and tricks so they can prepare themselves.”

However, local authorities were concerned that it would not have the desired effect.

“This is not an evidence-based approach to harm reduction for young people,” argued Aideen Dunne, Hertfordshire County Council’s public health consultant. “Any intervention that seeks to normalise alcohol consumption among young people could not be viewed necessarily as in the students’ best interests and I think that’s a really important point.”

“We don’t necessarily need to equip young people with resilience and skills through giving them alcohol. We don’t give them drugs, we teach them of the harms,” continued Dunne.

Some councillors also suggested that students who chose not to drink at these events would be targeted by their peers who do.

In a statement sent to db, Councillor Julie Cragg, chair of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Alcohol and Regulated Entertainment Sub-Committee, said: “Having heard from all parties, the sub-committee was concerned that there were risks to students and that a visible alcohol policy had not been submitted with the school’s application. The sub-committee felt that the measures put forward in representations were not sufficient to negate these concerns and therefore, on this occasion, the licensing objectives were not met.”

The UK law surrounding alcohol consumption is that 16 and 17-year-olds can can drink, but not buy, beer, wine or cider with a meal if they are also accompanied by an adult.

db has reached out to Queenswood for comment on the application’s rejection.

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