The North West Alcohol Forum have issued warnings and advise over the popularity of pre-parties before young people celebrate Leaving Cert Results nights this week.
Leaving Cert Results are out this Wednesday, August 16th, and young people across Donegal will be celebrating throughout the week.
The North West Alcohol Forum say that many young people will experience increased pressure to drink, drink more than before and over a longer period.
The group advise that there are simple things young people, their parents and pubs, clubs and off licences can do to reduce the risks to health and wellbeing that come with alcohol.
Students can plan to party safely and think about what they will do if they get into difficulties.
Parents can help by talking to them about their plans and listening to any concerns.
If Pre-Parties are being planned at home, parents also need to be aware of their responsibilities and the law. But it doesn’t stop there, the management and staff of licenced and off-licenced premises have very clear responsibilities when serving and selling alcohol, especially to younger drinkers.
Alcohol Forum have produced a one-page flyer for students with reminders of simple things they can do to party safely, whether they chose to drink or not.
The key message includes partying safely by knowing what you’re drinking and how it will affect you, including non-alcoholic drinks throughout your evening, knowing what to do if someone takes too much alcohol and making a plan to get home safely.
The flyer reinforces general advice to stick with friends and keep an eye on your drinks, but goes further with tips on how to reduce your risk from alcohol harm, especially if going to pre-parties.
CEO of Alcohol Forum, Kieran Doherty’s advice for parents is clear. “If your son or daughter is celebrating Leaving Cert Results this week, whether they drink or not, it is likely they will be around people who are drinking.
“It’s important to talk to them about their plans for the day and evening and listen to any worries they might have. One of the most useful things parents can do is reassure their son or daughter that it’s ok not to drink, and if they do drink, to know their limits and to stop drinking if they feel drunk.
“After that, help them out with their plan and be sure they know that in an emergency they can call you, no matter what.”
In recent years, pre-parties have become increasingly popular. Parents are potentially in a position where they are unclear about their responsibilities.
Alcohol Forum advises parents to be aware of these four things if you are hosting a pre-party in your home:
- Even in a private residence, the legal drinking age is 18. Alcohol cannot be served to a person under 18 unless you personally have the explicit consent of their parent or legal guardian and only if it is in a private residence, like your home. That means, if you are serving or supplying alcohol, you need to know the age of each young person there and have had a conversation with their parent or guardian.
- Not everyone will want to drink. By having non-alcoholic alternatives available and visible at the party, you can support them in that decision. Juices, soft drinks, non-alcoholic beers, or mocktails (if you’re getting fancy) are all great choices for non-drinkers and drinkers alike.
- Always have bottles or jugs of water out for people.
- Always serve some food like pizza, burgers, cocktail sausages etc.
- Agree with your son or daughter what the rules are for the party well in advance.
Leaving Certs Results is a huge night for pubs and clubs, but also off licences across the country. Alcohol Forum is a calling on all licenced premises to remember their legal duties and to put health and wellbeing at the centre of all decision making by staff and management.
Licence holders, management and staff have a duty to ensure that alcohol is not sold or served to anyone under 18; to stop serving and selling alcohol to people who are intoxicated; to provide a safe service, which includes preventing drunkenness on the premises and; to ensure that a drunken person is not admitted to their premises.
Kieran Doherty highlights the important role played by licenced premises and their staff: “Town and city centres will be see a bigger than usual turn out of younger revellers during this week. The selling and serving of alcohol brings with it a particular set of responsibilities and licence holders have the duty to ensure all their staff understand the law, but that they also provide a safe and responsible service to their customers.
“ A simple way to state their duties are to detect, care and act. By providing a responsible service where excessive alcohol consumption is discouraged, they make life easier and safer for themselves and their customers.
“In addition, when dealing with young people who may be drinking for the first time or find themselves in vulnerable situations, we’d hope that pubs and clubs will have the health and wellbeing of all concerned at the centre of their decision-making.”
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