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Parents Encouraged To Talk To Kids About Underage Drinking

Thursday, 31 December 2015 06:44

As many people prepare to celebrate the new year, parents are encouraged to know where their teens will be, and what they'll be doing.

Teenagers will be going out to ring in the new year, but police are encouraging parents to have a frank discussion with them about alcohol.

Woodstock Police Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen says they have noticed quite a few underage drinkers during the R.I.D.E. checks. "What I have seen lately is people under the age of 19 are consuming alcohol and carrying it in their backpacks and they have it on their lap or near them and they can get liquor related offence charges - over $100 charges. If they're walking around and they have alcohol in their backpacks they are going to get stopped and potentially charged as well."

VanLeeuwen also says kids tend to go a little overboard when they do drink at parties. "Binge drinking is an issue. I'm just suggesting to these young people and their parents to have the conversation about binge drinking and not to do it. Doing shots - that's a big thing as well. And they're over-consuming and a lot of times they'll end up in hospital because they drink too much."

The police are also encouraging parents to talk to their kids about what their plans for New Years are."Know where they're going," VanLeeuwen cautions. "There are a lot of party places and there are some parents out there that are allowing big parties with 16, 15, 17 year olds drinking. And those parents are liable as well, civilly and under the liquor license act. I would suggest to parents not to have that choice and allow underage drinking."

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