Health Ministry plans law to prevent alcohol consumption by minors

'Botellona' mass drinking, Spain
(Illustration only)

SPAIN Health Minister Ana Mato announced recently that her ministry is preparing a law aimed at lowering alcohol use by the under-aged. Among other measures, the draft bill seeks to ban advertising aimed 'directly or indirectly' at minors. "We're going to clarify the limits available to alcoholic beverage advertising, eliminating ads and campaigns directed at the under age population, as well as advertising that is uploaded to media that has no age control," said the minister in answer to a parliamentary question. The draft of a so-called Ley de Prevención del Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas en Menores de Edad y sus Efectos (Prevention of Consumption of Alcohol by Minors and its Effects) will also increase control on and sanctions against establishments selling alcohol to minors. This will include closer control of discotheques, which allow under-18s access and thus to drink.>>>

Young increasingly seek help from Alcoholics Anonymous

SPAIN (Agencies) The Spanish chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous has detected an increase in the number of young people who come to the organization for help. What AA is not aware of, however, is that the economic crisis is having any effect on the number of cases of alcholism as it does not carry out surveys or follow-ups, as a matter of its principle of anonymity. So, at any rate, said Primitivo Cachero, President of the Board of Alcholocs Anonymous in Spain, at the start of the organization's 32nd General Service Convention held tis year in Oviedo, Asturias last month. The convention, which is presented under the banner of AA's 75th anniversary, brought together over fifty representatives of the 24 areas that make up the fellowship in this country and has its national headquarters in Avilés.>

Father takes 14 year old son's drinking binge to police

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle/Brian Reyes / Photo: illustration only) When a 14-year old boy rolled home drunk on vodka recently, his father decided to tackle the issue head on. The following day, he marched the now-sober boy to New Mole House police station to file a complaint. He wanted to ensure that whoever sold his son the vodka was punished. A fortnight later, police reported the owner of a local shop for selling alcohol to a minor under 16. In due course, the owner will be summonsed to court and could face a fine. This was not an isolated case, however. For evidence of that, look no further than an operation against underage drinking carried out last weekend by the Community Safety Unit of the Royal Gibraltar Police.

Girl arrested for distributing alcohol among minors

ALGECIRAS (Agencies/Phot: illustration only) An 18 year old girl was arrested this weekend for distributing alcohol among minors at a botellón ('street drinks party') at the Llano Amarillo parking area (the only legal gathering/drinking place in the town). She had bought the drinks from a shop acros the road on Virgen del Carmen, whose owner saw that she had then pased the bottles over to her friends, four 17 year old girls, outside the shop. He called the Local Police, who happened to be close by. They confiscated the evidence, and the older girl is due in court this week. Opinion has it that this incident will be used as an example in a campaign to be launched by the Council against this practice, which is common throughout the country. It is in fact illegal for an adult to purchase alcohol for minors, but the law is very difficult to enforce.

Under age drinkers identified by Local Police

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) The Local Police identified 13 youngsters under the legal drinking age of 18 or drinking in the street. Ten of the police controls were held at the Llano Amarillo, the only public space in Algeciras where it is legal to drink in the street - though not for under age children. The other three controls wook place in other parts of the town, where it is forbidden. O fthe 13, four were 14, six were 15 and the remaining three, 16. The police contacted their families as part of the established procedure whereby the parents are warned that their children are drinking in the street aand are therefore at risk. These controls are carried out by members of the police's Family Unit, who do so in civvies and under cover. This not being the first time such controls occure, the Councillor for Civil Protection, Cristina Garrido, says that these preventative measures are achieving their objectives.