Adults warned over buying booze for teenagers

Adults who buy alcohol for teens during the St Patrick’s Festival will be fuelling underage drinking, it was claimed today.

A survey found that more under-18s asked adults to purchase alcohol for them around last year’s national feast day compared to previous years.

MEAS chief Fionnuala Sheehan warned that because St Patrick’s Day is on a Friday, there will be three days of revelry.

“We have got to prevent the kind of over-indulgence in alcohol by a small minority that has marred the festival in parts of Dublin in recent years”, Ms Sheehan said.

“The recent disgraceful civil disorder in Dublin further heightens awareness on the part of all sections of the community including all retailers of alcohol, parents and young people themselves of the dangers of over-indulgence and drunken, loutish behaviour.

“It behoves all interest groups to do everything possible to ensure that this coming St Patrick’s Festival is remembered for all the right reasons, and is an enjoyable, family occasion for everyone.”

Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (MEAS) is running a newspaper and radio advertising campaign aimed at parents to ensure they give a good example to their children when it comes to their own drinking during the festive period.

MEAS is dedicated to combating underage drinking and promoting socially responsible attitudes to alcohol.

Established in 2002, MEAS is committed to working to tackle the problem of under-age drinking, as well as the phenomenon of binge-drinking and drink-driving.

The MEAS newspaper and radio advertising campaign ‘Is your drinking affecting their thinking?’ seeks to remind parents and adults that they are important role models when using alcohol.