Government mulling ban on alcohol use by minors

The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy is considering a proposal to ban the consumption of alcohol by minors, Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina said yesterday. The proposal seeks to correct an anomaly in the statute book that only makes it illegal to sell alcohol to underage people.

Speaking during the launch of the Sedqa Binge Drinking Awareness Campaign, Ms Cristina said a number of other proposals had been presented to the committee. Tackling the problems of alcohol abuse ranked high on her agenda.

Changes in the law were not enough, she added.

"While legislation is necessary, it is through education and especially through example by parents and society at large that young people can better understand how they can avert the risks of abuse," she said.

According to the latest European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), Malta ranks fifth among 35 countries in the proportion of 16-year-old students who reported bingeing on alcohol three or more times in a month.

The minister asked how children under 16 could possibly go home drunk without their parents realising the state they were in.

"The fact that alcohol is easily acquired continues to worry those who have the future of the young generation at heart.

"I feel we can no longer remain passive. We are continuously evaluating proposals by the National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and Other Dependencies, Sedqa as well as non-governmental organisations," she said.

Ms Cristina said that apart from health problems, alcohol abuse had ripple effects, including unwanted pregnancies. She stressed the need to pass on a clear message that there was no need to consume alcohol to have fun.

The Foundation for Social Welfare Services' chief executive officer Joe Gerada stressed the need for tighter vigilance against those who sell alcohol to minors, adding that the identity card should always be shown before a sale is made, with anyone caught selling alcohol to minors having their licence suspended immediately.

"This is about zero tolerance to selling alcohol to minors. If you sell alcohol to minors, your outlet should be closed down," he said.

He also spoke about the importance of giving the police the authority to carry out random breathalyser tests, as well as banning advertising addressed to minors.

Sedqa clinical director George Grech said that although the problem of binge drinking had existed for a long time, it had recently reached new heights.

Concern was three-pronged: the excessive use of alcohol especially during village festas; the large number of parties organised especially in summer and the increasing rate of adolescent women who were binge drinking.

Dr Grech said a study in the United States had found that liver cirrhosis in non-alcoholics probably emanated from binge drinking during adolescence. As part of the awareness campaign, Sedqa has launched a website that provides information about drugs and alcohol and includes interactive sections - a chat and a forum - which provide the possibility of having real-time information and feedback.

The agency is also embarking on a media campaign that will include articles and features in the press, leaflets, cinema slide adverts and three catchy public service announcements on the radio.