The " Fine " Farce !

There is no doubt that we have a problem with liquor and its affect on people's behaviour.   Whenever the city nightclubs empty out in the early hours of the morning we are treated to the spectacle of drunken men and women brawling in the street.  Over indulgence in liquor is usually the root cause of most domestic disputes - and alcohol is becoming part of the lifestyle of children at an ever younger age.

The state government is suggesting a law change to try and push the genie back into the bottle when it comes to access to liquor for those below the legal age of eighteen.

This proposal seeks to impose a fine of a thousand dollars on any person below that age who is detected sneaking into a club or pub, or who attempts to buy liquor from a bottle shop.    This would not be a fine to be levied at a magistrate's discretion.  It would be a fine - set in concrete - that would apply in all circumstances.    No " if's " , " buts " or " maybes " !

Of course, not too many teenagers have a spare thousand dollars at their disposal, so this new law extends responsibility for paying the fine onto the culprits parents.   The thinking is, if those parents are out of pocket a thousand dollars they will be more careful in supervising their child's behaviour - and they will recover this fine money from the child when he or she finally starts to earn a living.

If ever a new law sat up and begged to be challenged in the appeals court, it would have to be this one ! The same justice system has stripped away parental rights to control the behaviour of children.   They can not legally impose a curfew.   They can not stop a child leaving their home without permission and in fact government agencies will encourage young people to reject " rules ".   Those that invent a story that suggests there may be a " danger " in the family home are even given a stipend  to live free of parental authority.

This is a totally unworkable concept.   It sounds good in theory for those who don't bother to think through the consequences, but it would be impossible to impose control responsibility on parents without also restoring their right to legally exercise this authority - and that has not even been suggested !

Stopping young people getting access to liquor is a lost cause.  The only real remedy open to government is to beef up the age checking criteria at all venues that dispense  alcohol.   There have been suggestions of raising the legal age from eighteen to twenty-one, but it must be remembered that when that age was twenty-one here, we still had exactly the same problem - and the legal age in most American states is still twenty-one - and the problem exists there too.

Alcohol and young people have been  a perennial problem.   It has always been with us - and it probably always will be.    The only consolation is that with age comes wisdom.   Eventually, we all put our " wild days " behind us - and join in the criticism of the present crop of " hell raisers " !