Staff writer – Kerran Monroe
The issue of under aged drinking has been brought to the attention of the Jamaican public recently with various reports of teenagers gaining access to parties where alcoholic beverages are being served and inevitably gaining access to the alcohol being served at these events.
While the nation has just been made aware of this issue I have been aware of it for some time now and, have even been complaining about it. Some time ago I attended a mixed drinks inclusive party and I was not surprised but annoyed by the number of kids I saw present at that party.
I was not surprised for the main reason that I have been aware that underage kids have little or no problem accessing adult parties. How do I know this? I was one of those kids accessing these parties and participating in under aged drinking not so long ago.
The first time I went to a club in Jamaica, I was 16 and my cousin who was a part of the clique was 15. She was the youngest of the group. All we did was, we joined a line, got searched by security for weapons etc. and we went right in.
Patrons flock to Dream Weekend’s Beach Rave, one of the parties where the I’m Legal Initiative was on show in 2012. Photo courtesy jamaica-gleaner.com
Nobody asked us for any form of identification as proof of age or even asked us how old we were. In fact, I did not observe the workers at the club, trying to find out if anyone in the line was at the legal age to access the club.
At the last staging of the Negril Weekend events, some efforts were made by the alcoholic beverage association to curtail this problem with the “I am legal campaign”. This is a campaign that I applauded and welcomed.
However kids are still gaining access to other events where they can participate in under aged drinking. Now I am not naïve, I know that whatever system is put in place can be manipulated. However, if there is a system in place to militate against this, the problem would not be so prevalent.
The effects of under age drinking. Photo courtesy guardian.co.uk
It is too easy for children to access alcohol and adult entertainment and some of the blame must be laid at the promoters and sponsors of these events. The simple method of checking IDs can be a very effective one.
It is simple, if you cannot prove that you are legal to drink and party, then no party for you.
The promoters of these events need to look beyond the bottom line and realize that they too have a role to play in nation building and keeping the public safe.
