This is the place to have your say about local issues. Whether traffic and carparking woes, overdevelopment, high-rise, violence on our streets, the music our kids are listening to, we want to hear your views. How old is old enough to drink?
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The revelation that a 13-year-old girl was among the drunken young people picked up by police at the weekend would have shocked many parents.
The fact that her father collected her from the Noosa police station and then returned her to the party has caused even more outrage, with one blogger on thedaily.com.au suggesting he should be prosecuted for criminal negligence.
Others argue that our country’s drinking culture and failure to instill discipline and respect in kids is to blame for the increasing incidence of underage boozing and violence.
Almost 100 people were arrested across the Sunshine Coast during the Australia Day long weekend celebrations, and police said most of the trouble was caused by drunk people under the age of 21.
More than 150 youths were involved in an attack on three police officers at Noosa Woods on Saturday afternoon, while more intoxicated young people caused problems in Mooloolaba.
Inspector Mark Henderson called the antics of intoxicated youths disgraceful and said it was one of the worst weekends police had seen in years.
One officer phoned Coast radio station MixFM breakfast to express his frustration.
“We've had enough of the teenagers and what they are up to today and they way they get away with everything they do,” he said.
At what age do you think young people should be allowed to drink alcohol? What measures should be taken to curb drunk and disorderly behaviour among teenagers?
Is Australia's "drinking culture" partly to blame for the trouble that is occurring on the Coast?
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Recent Comments
outside nightclub zones at the late hours of the night one expects to see young drunks and all that goes with it - that's a reality of life that you expect if you're at that place at that time. however, at 7pm at a family event such as the mooloolaba fireworks, young children and families should not have to witness drunken teenagers swearing, breaking bottles and generally carrying on with no respect or social awareness. there were thousands drinking in public from young teens smashed on spirits to older adults having a quiet wine with their BBQ, however all of the really offensive behaviour was from drunk kids under the age of 18. kids who haven't been drinking long enough to do it responsibly.
we left mooloolaba after the fireworks and it was obvious that the place was a powderkeg just waiting for something to spark it. that was 9pm at night.
the solution to me was clear. if police had patrolled the area early in the day/evening and asked for ID of any person drinking or clearly drunk and been granted and used move on powers they could have difused any violence from occuring later. any underagers drunk or drinking in public should have been removed and placed in the watch house until they sobered up. possibly a fine should be issued also. it may seem harsh but what's the chances they will repeat the behaviour next year.
young drinkers would soon get the message that unruly, public drunkeness wont be tolerated. it will mean that on future australia day celebrations, all australians can go out to a public event and celebrate without fear their day will be hiljacked and ruined by the drunken teenage mob.
advance australia fair!
When I was about thirteen my parents introduced me to alcohol. They taught me to respect it, appreciate it and savour it. At a young age I was taught the a small glass of wine at dinner was the way alcohol was to be consumed. They taught me what sort of wines went with what sort of meats and meals.
As I grew older I couldn't at all understand why my friends wanted to guzzle down cheap and inferior wines and spirits, just to get drunk which made them act stupidly and do things they regret the next day (if they remember at all)
I never once got intoxicated as a young person.
Parents need to take responsibility for they children. I heard one lady on the radio the other day saying how out of control her daughter was. She was saying she told her 14 year old daughter she was not allowed out. But she disobeyed her, got her 17 year old boyfriend to pick her up, went out and came home drunk.
Where has parent control gone?
This girl should be lock into her room until she can prove responsibility. It might be tough but that's what these teenagers need. They will thank there parents for it later. as I do with mine.
I believe if a responsible 13 year old is taught to respect alcohol and has a small glass of red with a meal once a week, there is no harm in that. Infact it might stop them abusing it when they are able to get there hands on it.
Why isn't there warning labels on alcohol bottles like cigarette packs? Alcohol advertised on TV often portrays young males doing irresponsible things. Is this effecting our kids?
The Parent that dropped his 13 year old drunk daughter back to a party in Noosa should be reported to Child Protection.
Young people also need to be given alternatives, there is nothing for them to do on the coast.
Parents have been emasculated by successive Governments, thou shalt not raise your voice nor hand to your child... if the child is unhappy with familial disipline the self same Government will pay that child to move out of the family home. That child more often than not then becomes an ongoing burden to the welfare system, which pays for their smokes, booze and children born into that environment.
As for the clown who returned his 13yo girl to a party from which she was removed by the Police, the Police should charge the parent with any number of offences that come to mind. Similarly the child obviously is at risk in her own family environment and thus should be removed to a safer one as her parents obviously do not love nor care for her.
Plenty of young people write very intelligent and informative blogs here (Jayboy above for example) When was the last time you had a deep and meaningful chat with a young person. They are much more intelligent and switch on then they were in past generations!
I am also tired of hearing parents whining about there rights being taken away. My mother only had to look at me to keep me in line.
Months and months of bitching about how the coast has an alcohol problem and you go ahead and give free beer away ? WTF? (internet chat lingo... google it if unsure of the meaning)
is this moral ?? definately not (although for the right price obviously they think so...)
is this legal ?? after reading the following i still fail to see how it is...
http://www.liquor.qld.gov.au/_Documents/...
shame shame shame.....
all i can think of is that racq charter boat ad... only the editor of The Daily is the lady hanging up her sheets...
"alcohol problem ? what alcohol problem?"
So now we know your stance on the alcohol problems within society (and they are serious.. despite what you might think), please stop printing stories bitching about alcohol, until you are ready to acutally stand up and help the community, rather then pocket the advertising revenue..
"IT FEELS GOOD TO SAY NO!" (qld gov. new alcohol campaign)
This problem is bigger then many amount of money !
you need to look into the financials of any nightclub venue...
no alcohol = no revenue = no profit...
Security need to be paid, Rent needs to be paid, DJ's need to be paid etc...
sadly underage nightclubs are not an option without someone losing out...
and to DarkNight - It would appear that you are the one with the growing up to do...
The newspapers have not helped, but we are all aware of how bias they are; bunch of red necks Australia wide.
Profits resulting from alcohol sales are a bread earner for the govt. and they would not want that to be harmed. The campaign was weak, they reinforced the alcohol youth culture and shifted the responsibility to the female. That is wrong. I could do a better slogan, how about this “Get out there with your girl, drink loads of piss and let her worry about it”.
Im 15 years old .. and i am one of these '' underage '' drinkers. Basically all my friends drink and parties happen on a very regular basis and these parties usually involve Alchol, Ciggerets, Drugs and Sex ... Alchol is a Bad thing to be put into young peoples lives because it Wrecks them Mentaly and Physically. Once a person is around the age of ''18'' theyre brain is more developed than a 15 yr old. I have watched my friends go from a drink .. to many drinks .. Binge Drinking is a common thing these days. You wont be able to stop us ''teens'' from smoking, drinking or having Underage sex .. because we practically do what we want and no one can stop us .. unless we get caught .. and then we still do it afterwards...... There are laws to protect children.. but then it means parents have way less control over us than what it used to be ... I myself have never been hit in all of my years .. and if i was to be .. s@#$ would hit the fan....
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It is a very hard and interesting topic. It also doesnt help when you have ''heros'' like cricket players Belching how good Tooheys Beer or West End Draught is .. because then people get the ' name ' stuck in theyre heads so when they walk past a bottle'o' theyre like o !! gotta try one of them ..... its like ' fast food ' ads ... they do the exact same thing to lure you to buy it.
The legal age is 18 .. and it should stay that way .. make it any older like 21' people will then drink even more because once you are 18 .. you are counted as an adult .. so you should be able to do what you like.. aslong as it is legal ...
So i beleive 18 should and is the legal age....
Cheers,
ZaMmm
You have also stated that you can do what you like and nobody can stop you.........THIS IS WHAT THE WHOLE DAM PROBLEM IS ABOUT CHAMP!!!!!!!!!YOUR ATTITUDE......