Publicans warned on exam celebrations

Publicans have been warned to be on the look-out for under-age drinkers tomorrow as Junior Cert results are released.

Publicans have been warned to be on the look-out for under-age drinkers tomorrow as Junior Cert results are released.

The Vitners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), which represents over 5,000 pub owners across the country, urged its members to refuse to serve young teenagers in their pubs.

VFI President Paul Stevenson said his members are aware of the necessity of refusing to serve anyone under the legal age all year round, but that they need to be particularly watchful tomorrow.

The VFI also said parents should be aware of their children's whereabouts and social activities.

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"We are urging all our members to serve only those young people with a valid, legally accepted form of ID - such as the National Age card, passport or drivers' licence," Mr Stevenson said.

"Underage drinking is a problem that needs to be tackled by the whole of society. Parents, the gardaí, teachers, young people themselves as well as publicans need to work together to ensure that students celebrate safely and appropriately this week."

He said a mandatory system of identification to assist publicans in accurately assessing a customer's age needs to be introduced.

On Sunday, a body set up by the alcohol industry urged parents to monitor their teenagers in the run-up to the results.

Meas (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society) appealed to parents to discuss celebration plans with their children. Meas chief executive Fionnuala Sheehan said parents have a critical role to play in discussing the use and misuse of alcohol with their teenage children.

She pointed out that it is illegal to sell alcohol to under 18s and asked those licensed to sell alcohol to be "particularly vigilant" after the exam results are published and to check identification carefully.

Over 57,000 students will receive their Junior Cert results tomorrow.

Patrick  Logue

Patrick Logue

Patrick Logue is Digital Editor of The Irish Times