2007-2008 Echo Issue Outline ... to return to the page you "clicked" from, simply close this window



Related issue outlines:
No related issue outlines
Dictionary: Double-click on any word in the text to bring up a dictionary definition of that word in a new window (IE only).
Analysing the language of the news media: Click here to read a useful document on media language analysis
Age, Herald-Sun and Australian items: Click this icon ...

... to search the Echo newspaper index and enter the following word(s), with just a space in between them.
youth
alcohol

Sydney Morning Herald index: Click here to use the State Library of NSW's online index to the Sydney Morning Herald
Search for listed newspaper items online - see end of this page

2008/13: Adolescent drinking: should it be legal to supply alcohol to minors on private premises?<BR>

2008/13: Adolescent drinking: should it be legal to supply alcohol to minors on private premises?

What they said ...
'According to National Health Survey data, less than 1% of teenagers and only 3% of people aged 20 to 29 consume alcohol daily, compared with 13% of those aged 50-59 and 17% of those aged over 60'
Jennifer Doggett, media analyst for Crikey website

'In any given week 1 in 10 15 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking at harmful levels;1 in 5 16 year olds drank at harmful levels; and 1 in 5 17 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking at harmful levels'
2008 Australian National Council on Drugs Report

The issue at a glance
High profile incidents such as the Corey Worthington party which occurred in January 2008 have helped to focus popular attention on the issue of binge drinking among adolescents, especially those who are less than 18.
In addition on February 25 2008 the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) issued a report which indicated that many Australian families are now routinely faced with a young person with binge drinking problems.
The newly elected Rudd federal government has committed $53 million to a muloti-faceted campaign intended to reduce alcohol consumption among the young. Further at the March 26 Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) meeting on March 26, 2008, the federal Government attempt to have the different state governments adopt regulations similar to those that apply in New South Wales which make it an offence to supply alcohol to other people's under-age children. COAG has held over the discussion of this issue till its next meeting in November 2008.
Meanwhile, the Australian Drug Foundation believes there should be new laws to prosecute parents who give alcohol to other people's children at teenage parties. The same time Dr Simon Crisp, a clinical adolescent and family psychologist in the faculty of education at Monash University, has stated, 'We should make it a criminal offence for any person to supply alcohol to under-age people.'

Background
Alcohol and the law in Australia
(The following information comes from the Australian Drug Foundation's Internet site. It can be found at http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/browse.asp?ContainerID=drug_laws#legal
And from Wikipedia's entry under the heading Legal Drinking Age. This can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age )

In Australia, alcohol use is legal for those aged 18 years or over. There are laws governing how alcohol may be used. These laws may differ, depending on the state, territory or local area. For example, in some areas local by-laws make it illegal to drink alcohol in public places such as beaches, parks and streets.

Laws relating to persons aged under 18 years differ between states and territories, and depend on where the alcohol is being supplied and consumed. Generally it is not an offence for an under-18 year old to consume alcohol in a private home but, for example, in New South Wales, you are committing an offence if you supply or buy alcohol for a minor without being authorised to do so by the minor's parents or guardian. However, minors may be on licensed premises accompanied by a parent or guardian (but not purchase alcohol) and parents can not provide alcohol with a meal on licensed premises.
In Victoria, if a minor is caught with alcohol it will be confiscated and guardians notified of the offence, and a fine may occur. It is also illegal to provide minors with alcohol, and one can be fined by it if caught in the act. However, it is legal for parents to purchase alcohol for their under aged children on licensed premises so long as they supervise its consumption. While in Victoria adults can not only supply alcohol to their own children within their own home, they are also legally able to supply alcohol to other people's children.
Queensland has recently indicated that it will impose penalties on adults who 'recklessly' supply alcohol to any minor, their own child or someone else's.
Local by-laws may also prohibit any alcohol being supplied in public places or hired halls.

Internet information
The Council of Australian Governments' communiqu‚ from its March 26 2008 meeting can be read at http://www.coag.gov.au/meetings/260308/index.htm#binge
The above link takes the reader to the section of the communiqu‚ dealing with proposed action to curb binge drinking.

On September 6 2007 the ABC screened a series of programs presenting a range of views on Australian attitudes to alcohol consumption and the extent of problem drinking in Australia. This was presented as part of the Difference of Opinion series. Full transcripts of these different positions can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/tv/differenceofopinion/content/archives/doo_20070906.htm

On March 24 2008 the ABC's Lateline program presented an overview of the Rudd Government's attempts to curb alcohol consumption, including what is proposed to raise at the GCOAG meeting of March 26. A full transcript of this program can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2197875.htm

On April 27 2007 the British newspaper, The Guardian, published a report of a bid to have parents who give their under-age children alcohol prosecuted.
The full text of this article can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/apr/27/drugsandalcohol.uknews

In 2004 the Australian Government's advisory body, The Australian Institute of Family Studies released a study titled, 'Parenting influences on adolescent alcohol use'. Though quite long, this is a clear and detailed report which rewards careful reading. It can be found at http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport10/main.html

On November 28, 2007, the premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, issued a media release indicating her government's intention to take action against parents who 'recklessly' supply alcohol to minors. The full text of this release can be found at http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=55386

On February 8, 2008, a columnist for the British newspaper, The Telegraph, has published an opinion piece in which she explained her decision to allow her quite young children to drink wine in moderation.
The full text of her point of view can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=/education/2008/02/08/fadrink108.xml

Arguments supporting the supply of alcohol to minors on private premises
1. The extent of the adolescent drinking problem has been exaggerated
There are those who argue that the supposed problem of adolescent binge drinking has been significantly overstated. There are even those who have suggested that for some politicians and governments making statements about the dangers and prevalence of adolescent drinking is merely a means of distracting the electorate's attention from other more pressing issues.
John Wright in an article published in The Australian on March 28, 2008, stated, 'How satisfying for our PM to find something tangible to solve. Drumming up an instant issue to conceal less easily solved real ones (such as a possible recession) is an old trick. What is binge drinking anyway? ... Kevin Rudd is predictably vague about what he means by it. He knows that merely by spending $53 million on it will make most of us assume the problem exists and distract us from our anguish about the payments on our mortgage or our inability to afford one.'
John Wright went on to argue, 'In April 2007, Peter McCarthy of DrinkWise Australia quoted the WHO's 2004 Global Status Report on Alcohol as saying that "for the decade between 1996 and 2005, apparent consumption for the population aged 15-plus has remained stable at near to 10 litres per person a year. The proportion of daily drinkers increased with age: the peak for weekly drinkers was in the 40-49 years age group, and the peak for less-than-weekly drinkers was among teenagers." So, if anything, it's older adults getting into the grog, not younger ones...'
Jennifer Doggett is the online media analyst for the internet site Crikey. Jennifer Doggett has also stated, 'It's ... important to get binge drinking among young people in perspective. Although a high proportion of youth alcohol consumption is at risk levels, on average, young people drink much less than older people. According to National Health Survey data, less than 1% of teenagers and only 3% of people aged 20 to 29 consume alcohol daily, compared with 13% of those aged 50-59 and 17% of those aged over 60. Young drinkers are at increased risk of alcohol-related injuries, but most deaths caused through alcohol use occur in people aged over 50.'
Doggett has further suggested that many in the community have an exaggerated sense of the extent of adolescent drinking because many young people drink in public places where their alcohol consumption can be observed. She has noted, 'The issue is partly one of visibility. The 15-year-old quaffing Blueberry Breezers at the bus interchange is a much more visible problem than the 50-year-old who quietly downs a bottle of scotch at home every evening.'

2. It is intrusive for governments to attempt to regulate the private behaviour of young people and their families
It has been claimed that it is not appropriate for governments to attempt to control what adults and young people do within the privacy of their own homes.
Scott Stein, writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer, has stated, '"Nanny State" is the name given to government policies that treat adults like children and try to protect people from every possible harm or offence, especially from their own choices.'
Daryl McLure in an article published in the Geelong Advertiser on March 30, 2008, has stated, 'The self-appointed behavioural police, the gurus who lobby governments, want to add to the legislation protecting us from ourselves. Their solution to such problems is to cast their nets as widely as possible and restrict the freedoms of everyone who drinks and smokes rather than concentrate on those who actually offend.'
Numbers of parents have made comments which indicate that they believe government attempts to control behaviour within people's own homes are inappropriate.
Cassandra Jardine, a reporter for Britain's Guardian newspaper has stated that she 'wants her offspring to have a responsible attitude to alcohol, so she's not going to ban it, whatever the Government says.
I am writing the cheque now. It's for œ1,000, the fine that I may be liable for when I break the "parenting contract", which Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced for those who allow their underage teenagers to drink alcohol.'
Jardine has made it clear that regardless of what the law states, 'I prefer to normalise drinking as something you do with friends, family and conversation.'

3. Minors can be monitored by their parents and develop responsible drinking habits
A lot of people have kind of wanted to adopt the idea of this Mediterranean pattern of drinking and socialising our kids early as a preventative strategy.
In the 'Mediterranean' cultural model alcohol is regarded as an accompaniment to food, so drinking takes place with meals. Intoxication is not accepted. Children are sometimes given small amounts of wine, often diluted with water. Thus, it is believed, responsible drinking habits are encouraged.
The Canadian 'Drinking and You' Internet site contains the following justification of parents allowing their children to drink under parental supervision. The site states, 'Every parent must think through how best to introduce their children to the pleasures and pitfalls of alcohol consumption. It is important that children are given accurate and balanced advice about alcohol.
We are aware of the power of example, and it has been demonstrated that if children are introduced to alcohol in the company of family or friends at home, where it is enjoyed sensibly in a convivial atmosphere later problems can be avoided. The philosophy of such an approach, is that if your child is allowed a taste of wine (mixed with water), beer or cider the idea of "taboo" and alcohol being a forbidden fruit are removed and the child learns to enjoy the pleasures of drinking lightly, by example and without excess.'
The same site continues, 'If you drink alcohol at home, your children are bound to ask questions at an early age about what you are drinking and what it tastes like. It is tempting to say "wait until you are older", but it is worth explaining to your child that little bodies can't digest alcohol, which is "strong". Hence they should only have a very occasional sip at times of celebration such as Birthdays and Christmas.
If your child shows an interest, you could consider letting them have a small amount of wine mixed with water or beer at meal times, perhaps at weekends. This is the Mediterranean way, and has proved to make alcohol be seen as more of a "food" to be enjoyed at meal times than in Northern Europe and North America where it is more associated with a rite of passage, "taboo" and breaking rules.
Research shows that teenagers experiment with alcohol and often [jn the company] friends, but if their parents have been good and open role models and [they] are "well socialized" they are unlikely to develop bad habits with respect to alcohol.'

4. Minors should be able to participate in family celebrations
The argument has been put that the ability to drink in moderation as part of family celebrations may be a crucial step in actually preventing the development of binge drinking behaviour.
Medscape Today suggests that there are fundamental differences between an adult drinking pattern of the type that occurs later in life and adolescent binge drinking.
Adult drinking is typified as being 'Often in socially approved situations; often with meals; often associated with family celebrations (weddings, confirmations, funerals); often in moderation; while when intoxication happens, it is usually through drinking that isn't intended to result in intoxication.'
In contrast, adolescent drinking is typically 'illegal, and not socially approved; rarely with meals; not usually associated with family celebrations; usually involves rapid drinking, "gulping" drinks and large amounts (binge drinking) and intoxication is often the goal vs an "accident"'.
It has been argued that openly permitting young people to drink in moderation as part of family celebrations may be a further way of normalising their drinking behaviour and a disincentive to experiment with the style of drinking usually described as adolescent.
It has further been suggested that though sipping at family celebration appears to be the way that most young people are introduced to alcohol there is no evidence to suggest that this type of exposure leads to socially undesirable behaviour.
A number of politicians have made a clear distinction between those who allow their children to drink as part of family celebrations and those who support irresponsible binge drinking. The first, they claim, is acceptable, the second is not.
Queensland's premier, Anna Bligh, has indicated that irresponsible parents and other adults who supplied underage teenagers with alcohol would be fined. However, the Premier has stressed, 'This is not aimed at teenagers whose parents give them a sip of wine during a special occasion. But when mum or dad buys a ute full of beer for teenagers, they need clearer guidelines on what's acceptable.'

5. Laws prohibiting minors drinking on private premises would be very difficult to enforce
It has been claimed that there are major difficulties in any planned legal intervention which seeks to control how people behave within their own homes. Further, it has been claimed, those parents who believe it is appropriate to supply their under-age children with alcohol are likely to continue to do so irrespective of laws that might attempt to prevent them.
Australian Hotels Association Tasmanian manager Steve Old has said only 30 per cent of alcohol was consumed in licensed premises such as pubs and clubs. Most drinking, he claims, goes on within private homes and that includes much of the drinking that involves young people.
'It's a society thing, parents letting their kids drink alcohol,' Mr Old has said. Mr Old has further argued that drinking within family homes cannot be prevented by law enforcement agencies as it is simply beyond their reach and observation. Mr Old has asked, 'If parents are serving alcohol to kids at home, who is going to monitor it? Are police going to knock on doors?'
In an editorial published in The Australian on March 26, 2008, it was stated, 'Sensible rules, already in place, should be enforced effectively. Zero-tolerance for learner and P-plate drivers, like drink-driving laws in general, are important deterrents. And if pubs, clubs and bottle shops are selling alcohol to those under 18, or trading out of hours, the states should crack down. Consistent rules between states, if they can be achieved, would be sensible.
But if the Rudd Government thinks it can control foolish parents who ply their children with excessive alcohol, as opposed to teaching them to drink responsibly, it should think again. No government has found a way to legislate for common sense, or to make those who need warnings heed them.'
Similar views have been expressed in Great Britain where suggestions that parents should be prohibited from supplying alcohol to their 11 to 13 year-old children have met with the criticism that such laws would be impossible to enforce.
Britain's Public Health Minister, Caroline Flint, has indicated that she did not think the proposals would be enforceable. Ms Flint has claimed, 'I don't think passing a law to ban alcohol for those under 15 would be enforceable or necessarily effective.'

Arguments supporting the supply of alcohol to minors on private premises
1. Minors whose parents do not allow them to drink are less likely to develop problems with alcohol
New Australian research has found that parents who let their children have even a sip of Christmas champagne could be setting them up for underage drinking. A study of more than 2,000 students has highlighted the strong influence parents have on teenage drinking - and found that underage drinking is widespread. The study involved 2,315 students at 24 Melbourne schools, who were surveyed in Year seven and questioned again one year later. Researchers examined the influence of family factors on whether the teenagers used alcohol during their first year of secondary school, relative to their school, peers and individual influences.
The study found parents who ban their children from using any alcohol at home significantly reduce the risk of creating teenage drinkers.
John Toumbourou, Professor of Psychology at Deakin University, has said the findings are a warning for parents who believe they were doing the right thing by allowing their children to have a sip of alcohol.
Professor Toumbourou has stated, 'Parents totally underestimate the influence they have on their teenager's drinking and the harm they put them in by letting them drink at home. We found that teens were around half as likely to have consumed alcohol by age 13 when their parents said that they did not allow their children to have even a small sip of alcohol at home or at celebrations in the first year of secondary school.'
The study also found that adolescents were more likely to drink if their parents drank regularly or smoked but that firm rules banning alcohol still worked in homes in which parents were regular drinkers or smokers. 'The findings suggest clear directions parents can take to curb the currently alarming rates of teenage alcohol consumption,' Professor Toumbourou said.

2. Parents are supplying alcohol to other people's children
Studies have found that Australian adolescents are most commonly supplied with alcohol by family members or other adults whom they know. Australian Drug Foundation research shows that 30 per cent of Australian children aged between 14 and 17 drink alcohol weekly and 70 per cent get it from friends or relatives.
ABC reporter, Kerry O'Brien, commenting during the 7.30 Report on August 6, 2007, observed, 'One of the problems facing authorities is that teenagers are often supplied with grog at other people's homes, without the knowledge of their parents. That's perfectly legal in all states except New South Wales...'
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, an adolescent Psychologist, has stated more forcibly, 'The reality is the liquor licensing laws are a joke. Even if you as a parent don't want your child to access alcohol, what tends to happen is they'll go to somebody's place where the parents are serving it to them.'
Mary Gearin, a 7.30 Report reporter has also stated, 'It's a common misconception that there's a legal drinking age in Australia. There isn't. It's illegal for alcohol to be sold to or bought by a minor, but in every state except New South Wales, any adult can give as much alcohol as they like to any child in their care, with or without the knowledge of the child's parents. They can be sued for negligence, but health authorities say a specific law is needed in order to leave no doubt that it's an offence.'
The same situation pertains in the United States. The Century Council is a non-profit American organisation which aims to reduce drunk driving and underage drinking. According to a recent study conducted by the Century Council, 65 percent of underage drinkers get their alcohol from relatives or friends, with only 7 percent of teenagers reported obtaining alcohol from retailers. Illinois and Louisiana, along with 29 other states, still maintain lax laws that allow minors to drink in a private residence as long as a parent or guardian is present. While in 2005, South Dakota's Governor Mike Rounds vetoed legislation that would have allowed prosecutors to convict more easily adults who host parties attended by underage drinkers.

3. Binge drinking is a major health issue for adolescents
On February 25 2008 the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) issued a report which indicated that many Australian families are now routinely faced with a young person with binge drinking problems.
The report comes at the same time as the Australian National Council on Drugs is highlighting research figures which show that in any given week approximately 1 in 10 12 to 17 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking at harmful levels (males were drinking 7 or more drinks on the day and females 5 or more on the day).
The same research indicated that in any given week 1 in 10 15 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking at harmful levels;1 in 5 16 year olds drank at harmful levels; and 1 in 5 17 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking at harmful levels.
The Federal Government's health advisory group, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), has reviewed drinking guidelines. It recommends two standard drinks a day as the maximum alcohol consumption for both men and women.
The new guidelines also say that children under 15 should not drink alcohol at all, and children aged between 15 and 17 should use the same limits as adults, but with parental supervision. Clearly the ANCD's research indicates that large numbers of young people are drinking far more than the recommended alcohol consumption levels.
Professor Jon Currie from the advisory council has stated, 'The figures [for recommended alcohol consumption] are based on analysis of new population evidence and new modelling of what risks are, and they're looking at two sets of risks. One is the risk of accident and injury, and the other is the risk of health diseases which are alcohol-associated.'
Long-term binge drinking can lead to addiction, cancer, liver problems, heart attack and brain injury. Alcohol is the second biggest contributor to chronic disease in Australia, after smoking. Many of these effects are intensified when excessive drinking is begun early in life. Binge drinking can cause alcohol poisoning, which can cause death. While young people, especially young women, are at high risk of abuse, including rape, when they are drunk
In addition there is a strong connection between road trauma and death and alcohol consumption. Further violent and accidental deaths and general injury among young people are also frequently contributed to by alcohol. Young people who are drunk can do very dangerous things, such as reckless driving, swimming (most people over the age of 12 who drown are drunk), and getting involved in fights. In Victoria, alcohol-related emergency department admissions have jumped 35% in five years, while over 3,300 14-17 year olds were hospitalised for alcohol related injury and disease in 1999/2000 in Australia. During the ten years from 1993 to 2002, an estimated 501 under-aged Australian died from injury or disease related to high risk alcohol consumption.

4. Adolescent drinking on private premises can readily get out of control
The Corey Worthington incident in January, 2008, demonstrated the ease with which an adolescent party can get out of control. However, that celebration occurred without the permission of the boy's parents and without adult supervision. Other parties have demonstrated that even events organised and supervised by adults can be disrupted.
On February 16, 2008, more than eight police cars and a dog squad were dispatched to Peridot St, Bayview Heights, Cairns, as more than 500 guests and gatecrashers, many apparently under the influence of alcohol, massed on the street and in neighbours' gardens.
Police dogs were used to disperse hundreds of underage partygoers, some as young as 12, from this16th birthday party. The police were responding to numerous calls from neighbours. One teenager who attended the party said it got out of control after the gatecrashers turned up about 11pm. The Bauer family, who hosted the party for their 16-year-old son, said they had taken extra precautions, informing the police about the party and issuing only 200 wrist bands to invited guests.
Incidents such as this have led police ministers in a variety of jurisdictions to consider banning the supply of alcohol to underage drinkers on private premises. The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, has indicated that she would consider penalties for parents who recklessly supplied alcohol at underage parties.

5. Some states and other jurisdictions have already outlawed the supply of alcohol on private premises
Currently the liquor laws in New South Wales make it an offence to supply alcohol to a minor - either free at a private party in a home (for example) or after being asked by a minor to buy alcohol on the young person's behalf. Those who supply the alcohol to the minor are committing a second party sale offence and are liable to a maximum penalty of $5,500 - or $11,000 and/or 12 months prison if (for example) young children or large amounts of alcohol are involved. On-the-spot fines of $550 can also be issued by police. If the New South Wales legislation applied in Queensland a party such as that held by the Bauers in February, where alcohol was supplied to 16-year-old guests, would be illegal.
(There is a partial exemption in New South Wales which makes it a defence to a prosecution of supplying alcohol to a minor, if the defendant is the minor's parent or guardian or if the defendant has been authorised to do so by the minor's parent or guardian. This defence does not apply to the sale or supply of alcohol on licensed or registered club premises.)
The New South Wales government is also looking at extending a program where underage children caught drinking are forced to attend a counselling session with their parents, or face the possibility of a $500 fine.
The program has been operating in Sydney's Sutherland Shire since 1999 and has been extended by police into other Local Area Commands. A spokesman for the New South Wales Police Minister said the government was looking at the program's success to determine if it should, and could, be rolled out to other areas later this year.
Some jurisdictions overseas behave similarly. New Mexico has made it a felony to provide alcohol to minors and has recently increased the jail time those who supply the alcohol can face. Colorado, Florida, and Virginia have all passed laws that suspend the licenses of those who help underage drinkers obtain alcohol from 90 days up to six months. A New Hampshire law imposes penalties for parents who hold graduation or post-prom drinking parties, and California has passed a bill that jails parents who provide alcohol to a minor who is subsequently involved in a car accident.

Further implications
There is clearly room to debate the extent of binge drinking among minors, relative to its occurrence among older sections of the Australian population. However, recently released figures suggesting the extent of teenage alcohol consumption are sufficiently alarming to have lead for calls for action from a number of alcohol and health bodies.
The Rudd Government's $53 million initiative is intended largely to use sporting associations to promote a responsible drinking message and to conduct a nation-wide advertising campaign which the Prime Minister hopes may frighten adolescents into drinking more moderately.
The use of how the states will respond to the challenge of curbing adolescent drinking remains to be seen. The federal government believes a uniform set of laws governing secondary supply would be helpful. This means that the same laws would apply in every state as to how those who supply alcohol to minors should be punished and the circumstances under which it is legal to supply alcohol to minors.
The federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, has indicated that she would like to see all states adopt laws like those that operate in New South Wales. These make it illegal to supply alcohol to other people's under-age children even within a private home.
In the mean time the government has indicated that if its more moderate measures do not prove effective it is prepared to consider banning or limiting alcohol advertising. It has also been suggested that the government may raise the legal drinking age to 21. Among other measures which are being contemplated is to increase the tax on alcohol so as to increase its price and hopefully put it outside the reach of young drinkers.
It has also been suggested that the federal government might require that health warning labels be put on bottles and cans.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
AGE, March 8, page 5, comments by "experts", `Set boundaries, set an example'.
AGE, March 18, page 15, comment by Larissa Dubecki, `One for my pollie and one for the road'.
AGE, March 16, page 21, comment by Monica Dux, `Bingeing - we're a sick nation living high on the grog'.
AUSTRALIAN, March 26, page 13, editorial, `Loosen up, nanny'.
HERALD-SUN, March 25, page 19, editorial, `Too young to drink'.
HERALD-SUN, March 25, page 18, comment by David Murray, `L-plate drinking'.
HERALD-SUN, March 25, page 11, news item by Michelle Pountney and Gerard McManus, `Minister dilutes push to lift booze age limit'.
AGE, March 25, page 10, cartoon.
AGE, March 25, page 3, news items by Nick Miller et al, `State already cool on teen alcohol fines / A drink's sweet - but only at 16'.
AUSTRALIAN, March 24, page 3, news item by Samantha Maiden, `Rudd's drink laws to target parents'.
AGE, March 24, page 6, news item by Brendan Nicholson, `Parents targeted in youth drink clampdown'.
AGE, March 23, page 1, news item by Jason Dowling, `Push to lift drink age to 21'.
AUSTRALIAN, March 22, page 6, news item (ref to WA laws changes) by Amanda O'Brien, `Parents to be fined $200 if their kids run wild'.
HERALD-SUN, April 1, page 8, news item by Michelle Pountney, `One in three says alcohol not a drug'.
HERALD-SUN, March 29, page 15, news item by Kate Ryan, `Parents booze models'.
AGE, March 29, Insight section, page 9, comment by Tracee Hutchison, `Kevin .07 goes from Dad to worse'.
AGE, March 29, page 3, news item by Jill Stark, `Drink war blames parents'.
HERALD-SUN, March 28, page 5, news item by Peter Jean, `Split on booze ad plan'.
AUSTRALIAN, March 28, page 14, comment by John Wright, `Nation barely pulls its weight in the alcoholic stakes'.
AGE, April 9, page 4, news item (with statistics) by Nick Miller, `Drugs cost nation an arm and leg: $56bn a year'.
Using google to find newspaper items still available on the Web
Use your mouse to copy a newspaper headline (just the headline, not the entire entry as it appears in the sources) and paste it into the google search box below. Click search to see if the item is still accessible.

Google