Adult Supply To Young People Not Addressed

PRESS RELEASE
17 OCTOBER 2007

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) says the just announced Government review into the sale and supply of alcohol to young people does not address the issue of adult supply.

ALAC Chief Executive Officer Gerard Vaughan says the review focused predominantly on young people’s drinking rather than measures surrounding who is supplying them with alcohol and in what circumstances.

“What we were hoping for was some creative thinking on how to get some influence over what’s called the social supply of alcohol to young people; that’s the supply by parents and other adults to young people in a private setting.

“Our own research shows the ‘usual’ source of supply for underage drinkers are parents with some 60 percent of young people surveyed saying they got their alcohol from their parents; 30 percent said friends aged 18 and over, and just 10 percent said they bought it themselves.

“Such supply is legal but often the amounts of alcohol supplied and the lack of adult supervision that often accompanies such supply is where we see the real problem. It is disappointing the review did not address this issue.”

Mr Vaughan said adults needed to take responsibility and supervise when they supply alcohol to young people. “We can’t just leave this issue in the ‘too hard basket’. If we are to continue to allow adults to give alcohol to young people at private parties, we need an acceptance and willingness from adults to supervise the young people when they are drinking.

“On the one hand parents say they don’t want the Government to dictate how they bring up their children but they also say they want support. There needs to be more public debate on solutions that would be acceptable to parents.”

Mr Vaughan said ALAC supported the zero alcohol limit for young drivers. “This is a good clear message which we are right behind.”

ends

© Scoop Media