Young people our collective responsibility

At the beginning of January this year the media headlines were taken up by the appalling news that a 9-year-old boy was found ‘‘drunk’’ at a North Island skate park after he was supplied with alcohol by three adults in their 20s.

The three adults are facing charges of supplying alcohol to a minor.

I have been asked the question: ‘‘Getting drunk at 9 years old seems outrageous but does that surprise you from what you see in your job?’’

My answer is two-fold. Firstly yes, it is outrageous that adults would even consider supplying a 9-year-old with alcohol and I think that message was given loud and clear by the responses I have read and seen in the media in recent weeks.

Secondly no, I am not surprised that there are adults in our communities that would not think twice about supplying alcohol to our young people.

Too often we, as police officers, are uplifting young people who are too intoxicated to look after themselves. These young people would have been supplied alcohol by an adult.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, states that it is an offence to supply alcohol to a minor (a person under 18 years) unless the person supplying the alcohol is the parent or guardian of the minor, and supplies the alcohol in a responsible manner or the supplier has the express consent of the parent or guardian of the minor, and supplies the alcohol in a responsible manner.

The act goes on to further explain that the court may take into account the following when considering the issue of ‘‘supplies in a responsible manner’’:

the steps taken by the supplier to supervise the consumption of alcohol

whether food was provided with the alcohol

whether a choice of low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages, or both, was offered the nature of the occasion any arrangements for, or provision of, safe transport

the period over which the alcohol was supplied

the strength and volume of the alcohol supplied the age of the minor any other matter it thinks relevant in the particular circumstances.

The law makes it very clear to parents and guardians about their responsibilities regarding the supply of alcohol to their own children.

Many of you would have noticed the slogan written on the side of our police vehicles, ‘‘Safer communities together’’. Addressing alcohol abuse has to be a combined effort from the whole of our community.

I was heartened to read that a number of people rang the police when they saw the boy drunk in the skatepark . Those people took some action which resulted in a positive outcome.

If you see something that does not seem right and feel that you are unable to intervene, then call the police – ‘‘Safer Communities together’’.

Our young people are our future. Let’s not allow alcohol abuse take that away. We all have a part to play.