19 August 2016

Fines target supply of alcohol to U18s in private places

| Charlotte
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Supplying alcohol to under-18s on private premises in the ACT without parental permission and responsible supervision could lead to a fine of $3000 from today.

Parents are not exempt and could face the same fines if they supply alcohol to their children in an irresponsible manner.

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell said a new set of secondary supply of alcohol offences addressed a gap regarding the supply of liquor to people under 18 years old.

“It is already an offence to supply liquor to children and young people on licensed premises and in public places,” Mr Corbell said.

“These new laws, which have come into effect today, strengthen the role of parents in making decisions in relation to their children and managing their alcohol consumption.

“It is now an offence for another person to supply liquor to a child or young person, at a private place, unless they have permission to do so from a parent or guardian. The supply must also be consistent with responsible supervision of the child or young person.”

The Liquor Act 2010 identifies factors relevant to establish whether the supply of alcohol by a parent or guardian is responsible.

“These factors include the age of the child, the quantity and type of alcohol involved, and whether the child is consuming food with the alcohol,” Mr Corbell said.

“Under the Act, supply to an intoxicated minor, whether or not by a parent, is not consistent with responsible supervision.”

The Attorney-General said that consumption of alcohol by children and young people was known to be associated with a range of health and social harms, both short-term and long-term.

“In particular, research has shown that alcohol consumption by children and young people may adversely affect brain development and lead to alcohol-related problems in later life.

“The Government has provided a range of material to liquor retail outlets and other stakeholders to raise community awareness about the new offences, which attract a maximum fine of $3000.”

To find out more about the new offences, visit www.justice.act.gov.au/supply-of-alcohol-to-minors

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devils_advocate2:19 pm 24 Aug 16

Roksteddy said :

Take a chill pill, people. Did anyone bother to read the article?

devils_advocate said :

Making it a per se violation to supply alcohol to one’s own children seems like regulatory over-reach.

IT DOES NOT DO THAT! The law does not prevent me from letting my kids have a drink at home.
As for recipes, church wine and mouthwash – the usual ridiculous arguments from the usual suspects.

The law does not exist in isolation. it is interpreted by a vastly more powerful and better resourced state apparatus. In theory, citizens are innocent until proven guilty. In practice, powerful state operators merely raise an allegation, then the individual is brought to trial to answer the allegation and the onus is effectively on them to disprove it. If people are abusing their (or other’s) children, neglecting them, or otherwise endangering them, there are already laws to deal with that. Making up new offences, such as “one-punch” crimes, supplying minors on private premises, etc are at best wasteful knee-jerk reactions, and at worse cynical exercises in appeasing social conservatives.

gooterz said :

Written consent is needed.

No, it’s not.

Take a chill pill, people. Did anyone bother to read the article?

devils_advocate said :

Making it a per se violation to supply alcohol to one’s own children seems like regulatory over-reach.

IT DOES NOT DO THAT! The law does not prevent me from letting my kids have a drink at home.
As for recipes, church wine and mouthwash – the usual ridiculous arguments from the usual suspects.

devils_advocate12:31 pm 23 Aug 16

gooterz said :

As far as I can tell there is no reason for this. Its a waste of taxpayers money and at best it only exists because Labor what to look like they’re doing something or have no idea.

Good point. It is unnecessary regulation. If adults are engaging in predatory behaviour with drunk children, or otherwise putting them in harm’s way, there are or should be laws dealing with that. Making it a per se violation to supply alcohol to one’s own children seems like regulatory over-reach.

Heavs said :

Isn’t this just trying to capture under age parties where people get s#$t-faced and then do themselves or someone else some serious damage? Puts the onus on the adult party host to actually supervise a party where alcohol is freely available to 40 teenagers around a bonfire.

Nah its about those parents that want to stop their children having any alcohol (or fun) at all.
Most parents are happy enough for their kids to have some alcohol (Much better to watch them take it and understand it than for them to do it at a party while being peer pressured).
However not all parents are like this some are very strict. Most kids would have a sleep over and learn with another kids parents.

Taking this away makes it much harder for the other parents.
Not only that if one parent finds that their child has been drinking and got absolutely hammered at a party with another friend, do they collect both of them and risk getting charged for providing alcohol to a minor or just leave them at the party and not risk it.

There are reasons why we have judges and not just pass sentencing on people. One of them is that we aren’t North Korea. Another is that there are some things that should be taken on a case by case basis. It seems that Labor want to fill in all the gaps and do away with the courts 1984 style.

As far as I can tell there is no reason for this. Its a waste of taxpayers money and at best it only exists because Labor what to look like they’re doing something or have no idea.

Isn’t this just trying to capture under age parties where people get s#$t-faced and then do themselves or someone else some serious damage? Puts the onus on the adult party host to actually supervise a party where alcohol is freely available to 40 teenagers around a bonfire.

devils_advocate4:35 pm 22 Aug 16

I routinely drank on private premises as an underage person in my teens. Importantly, it enabled me to understand how many drinks before I was affected; how the different types of drinks (wine, beer, spirits, tequila) affected me differently, and at what rate of consumption it ‘catches up’ with you; and how even relatively small amounts can affect judgement. It also impressed upon me the need to avoid drinking and driving at all costs.
When I turned 18 and started going out ‘legally’ and drinking, I saw what happened when people started their drinking careers without that knowledge. Particularly disastrous for the young ladies, finding out the limits of their own alcohol consumption in public spaces really had a different set of far more serious consequences compared with consumption on private premises.

How on earth is this going to be policed?! It’s a waste of resources – are the police going to go door to door on Christmas Eve to see how many young people are having a drink? Weekend barbecues? Family birthdays?

Given the amount of parties held in Canberra each weekend – teenage birthdays, 18ths, 21sts, 30ths, engagements, house warmings, weddings and so on, complaints are only made on a tiny minority. Introducing measures such as this is a waste of time and resources.

creative_canberran said :

In Denmark and Germany the purchase age is 16, and in Germany you can consume in the company of an adult from 14. In France there is no consumption age. Meanwhile in the US it’s a ridiculous 21 and that’s the direction it seems people are pushing Australia towards, and if you look at US society, fat lot of good it does.

Saw a lot of American teenagers in Europe, who, away from their parents and able to buy alcohol, were quite obnoxious.

creative_canberran11:52 pm 19 Aug 16

In Denmark and Germany the purchase age is 16, and in Germany you can consume in the company of an adult from 14. In France there is no consumption age. Meanwhile in the US it’s a ridiculous 21 and that’s the direction it seems people are pushing Australia towards, and if you look at US society, fat lot of good it does.

Given that no one writes anything these days, why didn’t they say a text granting permission would be sufficient?
Isn’t Canberra supposed to be leading the world in cool apps and stuff?

Those under 18 will also need written permission to get E10 from the petrol station which is up to 10% alcohol.
Those working at the service station will need to record this evidence with either a photocopy or other means.
However those under 18 are legally allowed to get premium as it contains no alcohol.

Its illegal to supply a child with cough medicine. These usually contain alcohol.

Reading the poorly worded act it appears to just water down the act to be useless.
“Subsection (3) does not apply if the supply is consistent with
responsible supervision of the child or young person.”
“the supply of liquor to a child or young person who is
intoxicated is not consistent with the responsible supervision of
the child or young person.”

So it seems fine as long as you don’t get them too pissed.

“The provisions of this Act relating to the sale of liquor do not apply
to the sale of liquor in an exempt university building.”

Does that mean that nothing applies at all (even to minors) at a uni?

Mordd – IndyMedia said :

Well since we’re on that vein, don’t forget Listerine and other mouthwash in the supermarket aisle (even placed at kids head height level) with alcohol in it also.

You should report to Woolworths that they are breaking the law!

Mordd - IndyMedia5:12 pm 19 Aug 16

Well since we’re on that vein, don’t forget Listerine and other mouthwash in the supermarket aisle (even placed at kids head height level) with alcohol in it also.

Why not just put surveillance cameras in peoples’ houses and be done with it?

Written consent is needed.
Maybe they’ll start mandating the same for sex.

Does the same apply to the church with church wine. They’ll need written approval to let under 18s drink the blood of christ? Will the priest have to id the worshipers and stamp them like a bouncer from mooseheads. What about a food item that was cooked with alcohol. Red wine mixed into spaghetti.

ACT Labor need to go

Be careful making pancakes or cakes as vanilla essence conatains alcohol.

What a joke. What evidence is there that this was needed.

What a waste of resources

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