Do you know where your children will be tonight?

Do you know where your children will be tonight?

Do you know where your children will be tonight? The biggest concern for Bay of Plenty Police this New Year's is the vulnerability of unsupervised teenagers exposed to the risks of alcohol.

The lead up to New Year celebrations has so far been trouble-free. At Mount Maunganui for instance, a major annual attraction, the number of incidents over the last few days is considerably down on previous years.

Inspector Clifford Paxton said: "There have been a notable number of families enjoying the facilities and a really positive atmosphere which is great to see. The majority of people have also been adhering to the liquor bans. What concerns us is that a significant proportion of the incidents and liquor ban breaches we are dealing with are involving unsupervised teenagers. It is a real issue that teenagers are so readily getting access to alcohol.

These youth shouldn't be being supplied alcohol by parents or otherwise. They can be particularly vulnerable under the influence of alcohol.

"We want everyone to have an enjoyable and memorable New Year's Eve but have serious concerns that alcohol will result in poor decisions by some of our youngsters. I urge parents to know where their children are and to help them understand that they don't need alcohol to enjoy themselves."

"We just want everyone to look out for their family and friends so that we can all begin 2013 as we mean to go on; safe and healthy," said Inspector Paxton.

ENDS

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