A sobering approach to public order

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 09:25

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The frightening revelation that 12 to 13-year-old girls are openly consuming bottles of vodka in public areas in Castlebar is a most shocking indictment of society today.
Details of the binge drinking episodes were revealed last week by a community representative of the Castlebar Joint Policing Committee (JPC).
Roderick O'Connor, a member of the Knockthomas Residents Association has urged gardaí and parents to 'get a handle on underage drinking before there is a fatality'.
The situation has to be tackled and it is not just down to the gardaí to solve the alcohol-fuelled sessions.
Parents have the all-important role to play to ensure their youngsters are not involved in underage drinking.
They must know where their offsprig are at night and that they are not engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Likewise they must be on hand to collect their children from outside discos and not be depending on the gardaí to 'babysit' them into the early hours of the morning until they sober up.
It is far too very easy to blame disco promoters for the high level of alcohol abuse among young people.
But these proprietors can only control what goes on within their premises and despite their best efforts punters will smuggle in their own alcohol.
This is compounded by the difference in price between the supermarket off-licence and pub prices.
It is wrong customers can purchase 20 longnecks in the large retail outlets for €20 while they are charged €4 for one bottle in the pub.
No wonder the youngsters are stocking up before they go on the town.
But little action will be taken by Government to reduce the pub prices because of the huge excise take they receive on the sale of alcohol.
Councillors, public representatives and community leaders have been highlighting the tragic affects of alcohol abuse for years, unfortunately, with little success.
Parents have to take responsibility to stave off the imminent tragic loss of life, which will result if youngsters can continue to get their hands on bottles of vodka, etc.
The courts are plagued with the aftermaths of binge drinking and the consequences on family and community life.
They can only do so much by imposing penalties but the level of drink related reoffending is a cause for great concern.
Judge Mary Devins took the unusual but welcome step recently of ordering a young man who was caught urinating in the doorway of a Belmullet pharmacy to wash the door and windows of the premises on a weekly basis for the next couple of months.