From todays Irish Examiner

CHILDREN attending a teenage disco are to be breathalysed in an effort to stamp out drinking among young people attending the event.

A voluntary group which organises the disco said it was being forced to take the unprecedented step because it estimated at least one in 10 children trying to get into the event have drink taken.

The breathalyser scheme will be introduced next month at the Town Hall disco in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.

The disco normally caters for more than 100 youngsters aged 13 to 17.

Event organiser Justin Finn said "a lot of hassle" had been caused recently by drunk teenagers who had attended the discos.

"We’re having to do this out of necessity. There is so much underage drinking going on something had to be done," he said.

The organisers are buying their own €80 breathalyser over the internet and intend to deploy it at the pre-Christmas disco.

Mr Finn said it was often quite difficult to identify children who had consumed alcohol.

Many will drink spirits just a few minutes before queuing and don’t appear drunk until later on when they are inside. Others try and disguise the smell with chewing gum.

Mr Finn said extra security staff would be employed at the discos in future and they would be trained to look for tell-tale signs.

"If we think a teenager has drink taken we will ask them to blow into the breathalyser. We can’t force them to do it, but if they refuse we will not allow admission," he said.

Mr Finn added that allowing drunk teenagers into the disco could have insurance implications.

"If they are drunk and they get hurt inside the insurance companies may decide not to pay out," Mr Finn said.

He said underage drinking was a nationwide problem and he could see the organisers of other teenage discos taking up the idea.

A senior Garda source confirmed that there had been issues with underage drinking in the town.

He said parents had a responsibility to ensure their children didn’t have access to alcohol.


Is this a good idea or not?