MEDIACOM-RELEASE-CHILD-YOUTH-&-FAMILY
Giving children alcohol can be like handing them a loaded gun, says Child, Youth and Family.
"Parents who do not supervise their children's use of alcohol should not be surprised when the `gun' goes off," says
Wellington youth justice co-ordinator Allan MacRae.
Mr MacRae was commenting on the case of a Wellington woman who allegedly supplied a 40-ounce bottle of vodka to her
16-year-old child and a spate of drink-related problems with teenagers in the capital.
"A lot of the youth we deal with have got into trouble with alcohol.
"Parents need to be vigilant about their children's use of alcohol so that this does not threaten their safety or lead
to offending behaviour," says Mr MacRae.
"In most cases where problems occur, drunken teenagers become victims of crime because they're unable to recognise risky
situations."
ENDS