Senator Le Marquand's crack down on teen binge drinking

[Chief Minister]

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/01/12/new-crackdown-on-teen-drinking/

CHILDREN could be arrested for drinking alcohol in public under possible new powers to crack down on booze-fuelled violence.

Speaking just weeks after being elected as Jersey’s new Home Affairs Minister, Senator Ian Le Marquand said that a raft of new measures could be introduced to tackle the escalating problem of binge-drinking among youngsters.

The possible new measures include:
• Making it a criminal offence for children under 17 to drink alcohol in public without being accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Reversing the burden of proof in court so that licensees have to prove that they took all reasonable steps to ensure that the drunk person was not on their premises.
• Extending the ‘drinking-up’ time in pubs by up to an hour.

But Senator Le Marquand said that such measures were only ‘possibilities’. They would only be introduced if other measures to enforce current licensing laws more strongly were not effective. He said: ‘There is a long-term issue in relation to the binge-drinking culture in this Island. This is a very big issue for me and one which needs to be addressed.

I cannot see anybody objecting to this.

[boatyboy]

A close friend of mine, tells me that in the north and other parts of England to cope with under age drinking the police are enpowered to take the youngster home in a police car. In a conservative place like Jersey, what would the neighbours say. It gets better, if this happens three times the parents are reported to social services, who then visit, wanting to know why the kid is drinking ?

This puts responcibilty for drunken kids exactly where, in my opinion it should be, with the parents.  An ex police friend of mine firmed  my view by commenting that its parents that give the kids a beer or vodka before they hit the town. We are talking 14 year olds here. You deal with them then.

BB   

[Ashley]

It should already be against the law for kids to be out and about drinking.

I like the idea of an extra 'drinking up' hour.  Not sure how that keeps kids off the street but hay ho. Bring it on. This has, however already been discussed by some licensees and it was concluded that it'll cost them a lot of extra money (staffing etc) with no reward over the bar.  Also, people will arrive later if they can stay longer - also reducing income for the businesses.  Basically, until you can actually purchase alcohol during the extra hour, no one that matters will agree to it.

Drunken kids around town are a disgrace.  The fact of the matter is that as long as it's quite pleasurable to go and get drunk, kids will still do it - they'll find a way to do it too.  And if they don't do it while they're young, they'll do what I did and wait until they are old enough before they go to town and get totally blitzed.

They may as well be looking for a solution to cold breezes in winter.  it can't be helped in my opinion. 

A solution that I would suggest is give them somewhere to let of some steam.  Some will no doubt have a few drinks and there will be some problems.  It's just a way of life. At least they'll all be in one place and getting on with it in a controlled and supervised way.

[Fritz]

I think it is totally normal for kids to get blitzed. Its traditional, and no amount of legislation will stop it.
Its all part of the learning process.
What a boring world it would be if we didn,t get ,"Illegally", rat-arsed when we were young.

[moot]

I am not saying kid's binges are a problem but should it be dealt with by a man who celebrated his election victory with a glass of milk ?

[Chief Minister]

I like it 

[Ashley]

haha that's true!

I'd always hoped the Syvret eventually got control over this aspect of Jersey life.  When it comes to this kind of thing he's a realist. He's been out and about.  He's put himself amongst the youth of Jersey and he knows what they're all about.   People like ILM haven't got a clue.  They've probably had an interesting discussion around the dinner table at one of their soiree's and off the back of that they've made it their mission. I'd love to know what actual experience of town and the youth that he has. If he has none I'd gladly offer to escort him around St Heliers mean streets of a weekend - if he's paying.

I'm around town most weekends and as far as I'm concerned, Jersey is a very safe place to be.  Especially when compared to almost everywhere else I've ever been.  There's hardly any trouble at all.  It used to be much much worse.  I think the abolition cheap drinks/happy hours has made a difference.  The cheapest drinks in town are knocking on 3 pounds.  When I was 18 you could get strong drinks for 70p. That was only 13 years ago.  

[Chief Minister]

They need weekend youth clubs for young people.  They are bored and okay they may be a pain in the arse but if they had places to go and something to do then they may get out of peoples hair.

[futuatcher]

They need weekend youth clubs for young people.  They are bored and okay they may be a pain in the arse but if they had places to go and something to do then they may get out of peoples hair.

Hear, hear that man/woman!

Getting mullared in town on diamond whites and breaker ring any bells? hanging about in sand street was my favourite youth center! face it, town is boring for teens, as it was in the 90s. that's the main problem...

[BigDK]

They need weekend youth clubs for young people.  They are bored and okay they may be a pain in the arse but if they had places to go and something to do then they may get out of peoples hair.


I disagree about youth clubs. There are not many kids go into youth clubs these days compared to years ago. Its just not 'cool' any more. The Youth Service get a budget of 1.5million a year, surely they should be able to come up with other ideas rather than clubs and people who 'talk' to the kids when they are drinking.

[Ashley]

Youth clubs are great for kids up to about 12/13.   After that they're simply not interested.   

Youth clubs aren't considered the social outlets they once were.  Kids these days have mobile phones. They can be in contact with and arrange to meet whoever they wish, whenever they wish, wherever they wish.   There should be more 'adult' themed things for these people to do.  Bring back a choice of nightclubs, bring back somewhere like Funland with a large pool hall.

[Dylan]

No he'se now with the clowns!