02/06/2008
Parents To Face Courts Over Street-Drinking Teens
Mums and dads who fail to stop their children drinking in public will soon face court action in a new drive by UK ministers to 'get a grip' on drunkenness on the streets.
Among the measures designed to curb binge-drinking among teenagers and children as young as 10 will be one that targets youths who regularly drink alcohol in public and who will be soon be committing an offence.
Police will also be handed tougher powers to disperse youngsters congregating in the street and popular hangouts like parks and bus shelters.
Teenagers persistently possessing alcohol in public will be at risk of getting anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and acceptable behaviour contracts.
However, their parents will be also now be hit by similar orders and contracts - including the requirement to attending parenting courses - if they fail to get their children to "change their ways" and, ultimately, they could be prosecuted.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said professionals would be called in where parents were unable to do so.
"Groups of under-18s drinking in public are an all too familiar sight and this type of drinking increases youth anti-social behaviour and crime, puts young people in vulnerable situations - I want to put a stop to it.
"These new measures are designed to set boundaries and to complement other information the Government is providing for children and parents."
Ms Smith added: "Parents must play their role too. I want to see greater use of parenting orders and parenting contracts and anti-social behaviour orders when young people are persistently drinking in public.
"If parents and children need to meet a trained worker to get them back on the right track then so be it."
The approach is being spelt out in an action plan to be released by Ms Smith together with Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
They will urge greater take-up by police of existing powers to confiscate alcohol and disperse youngsters. "Directions to leave" will be applicable to children as young as 10.
The Government said the number of 11 to 15-year-olds drinking regularly had fallen from 28% in 2001 to 21% in 2006.
But average consumption by school pupils who drank had nearly doubled from 5.3 units in 1990 to 11.4 units in 2006.
(BMcC)
Among the measures designed to curb binge-drinking among teenagers and children as young as 10 will be one that targets youths who regularly drink alcohol in public and who will be soon be committing an offence.
Police will also be handed tougher powers to disperse youngsters congregating in the street and popular hangouts like parks and bus shelters.
Teenagers persistently possessing alcohol in public will be at risk of getting anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and acceptable behaviour contracts.
However, their parents will be also now be hit by similar orders and contracts - including the requirement to attending parenting courses - if they fail to get their children to "change their ways" and, ultimately, they could be prosecuted.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said professionals would be called in where parents were unable to do so.
"Groups of under-18s drinking in public are an all too familiar sight and this type of drinking increases youth anti-social behaviour and crime, puts young people in vulnerable situations - I want to put a stop to it.
"These new measures are designed to set boundaries and to complement other information the Government is providing for children and parents."
Ms Smith added: "Parents must play their role too. I want to see greater use of parenting orders and parenting contracts and anti-social behaviour orders when young people are persistently drinking in public.
"If parents and children need to meet a trained worker to get them back on the right track then so be it."
The approach is being spelt out in an action plan to be released by Ms Smith together with Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
They will urge greater take-up by police of existing powers to confiscate alcohol and disperse youngsters. "Directions to leave" will be applicable to children as young as 10.
The Government said the number of 11 to 15-year-olds drinking regularly had fallen from 28% in 2001 to 21% in 2006.
But average consumption by school pupils who drank had nearly doubled from 5.3 units in 1990 to 11.4 units in 2006.
(BMcC)
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