Teenagers are accessing alcohol by buying frozen oranges injected with vodka which they suck on before attending second-year and third-year discos, the Dáil has heard.
Fianna Fáil spokeswoman on children Anne Rabbitte expressed concern about the level of underage drinking among Irish teenagers, and the lack of enforcement against those selling drink to them.
Ms Rabbitte said she was at the stage where she was driving teenagers to discos, and waiting in her car and watching to make sure they go in the door.
She said that as she looked down along the canal in Loughrea, Co Galway, she could see the people aged over 18 selling cans and bottles containing alcohol to the youth, "At this stage I'm a mother, I'm not a TD, I'm nothing else."
Ms Rabbitte added: “I’m seeing the oranges being handed [over] that have been frozen with vodka so they can suck on the oranges as they’re standing” before going into second and third-year discos.
Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald said that as the mother of three sons, "thankfully now older, I can empathise with what you're saying about the concerns with young people".
Robust legislation
Ms Fitzgerald said there was robust legislation in place, and the Public Alcohol Bill was really important as part of measures to deal with drinking, particularly by under-18s.
The Bill was withdrawn in the Seanad last year after filibustering over provisions to completely separate alcohol from other products in supermarkets.
The Minister criticised what she called the “very ambivalent attitudes often displayed in this House” when it comes to alcohol legislation.
“I regret that because I think we need to be giving out very clear messages about our approach within the Public Alcohol Bill and other legislation that’s being recommended at present.”
The Bill includes provisions to restrict alcohol advertising. “That’s so important when it comes to young people because they are influenced by this type of advertising,” said the Tánaiste.
The restrictions aimed to protect children from exposure to alcohol advertising and “to break the positive associations between alcohol and lifestyles, for example advertising linking alcohol with social or sporting success”.
Point the finger
Ms Rabbitte said people were “sometimes too quick to point the finger in the direction of the shopkeeper or the off-licence. There is an onus on parents to take responsibility and leadership.”
She warned that below-cost selling and drinking on the streets were issues, and community policing could be used in addressing this and to ensure enforcement.
Ms Fitzgerald said there were new parks initiatives where gardaí were working to interrupt antisocial behaviour by young people gathering there.
“I’m very pleased the development of community policing is a priority in the policing programme for this year.”
