Teens have a new vision of 'youth clubs' - drinking in outdoor areas

"There is nowhere else for us to go, we don't cause any damage to people, if there was more clubs or places to go we wouldn't have to take to the streets to drink. "

That's the view of one Strabane teen, aged 16, who drinks on the street.

Others may well disagree and point to the facilities available to young people in the town but areas such as the River Walk and the Canal Basin are now the ideal location for teens to be with their friends.

Is this the new 'youth club' where young people congregate to drink, socialise and 'have a laugh' with their friends?

Whilst all that seems very innocent, the fact is that it is illegal for teens to drink, illegal to drink on the street and the long term effects of their 'past-time' is dangerous.

The communty has long been aware of the blight of underage drinking on the streets of the town.

Areas such as the Riverside Walk and Canal Basin are being used for teen's social gatherings, where alcohol is consumed.

Strabane Council is aware of the issue, but a solution to the ongoing problem does not seem to be imminent.

Sinn Fein's Ivan Barr said, "Obvious areas such as the Canal Basin and the River Walkway, that are subjected to street-drinking are showing signs of substantial vandalism.

"Strabane Council takes a firm approach when dealing with this issue, Prosecution rates for street drinkers are higher in Strabane than in any other district.

Mr Barr said, "The community should come together and play a more active role in educating these youths in the dangers of alcohol and the effect it can have later in life."

Statistics show that at least 5,000 people under the age of 21 die due to alcohol related incidents, such as car accidents, homicide and suicides.

Youths do not seem to be aware of the dangers of alcohol and believe it is harmless fun.

It is extremely worringy as consuming alcohol from an early age can lead to many health risks in later stages.

That may well be the case but is it now the case that many youths do not necessarily fear the authorities, preferring to take their chances, and are unaware or complacent about the possible effects on their lives and health.

The Riverside walk, once a popular area for many families to enjoy, is littered with empty beer cases and cans.

This problem is causing huge concern for those that live in the area and parents who fear the problem will worsen if drastic action is not taken.

One concerned parent told me, "When my children leave the house, I constantly worry about where they are and what they are getting up to, I am fully aware that this town has high levels of underage drinking.

"I feel that the PSNI should be frequently patrolling these areas, as not only is it causing upset amongst residents of highlighted areas but it is extremely dangerous for those involved."

The amount of alcohol consumed by youths in Strabane is leading to many anti-social problems.

Some teens become violent and destructive, which in many cases lead to fights and incidents involving the PSNI.

Many businesses in the town have had continuous problems due to this trend, with windows being smashed and obscene amounts of vandalism.

The PSNI's Community Safety Inspector, Graham Dodds said, "We currently do spot-checks in the areas that are most affected by under-age drinking, however we can not be in two places at once.

"We do have a zero-tolerance policy and with re-offending culprits we do take things further and prosecute.

"We do not want to criminalise the youths so to prevent this the teens will be taken to their parents.

"The PSNI would be more inclined to prosecute the suppliers of the alcohol or the licensed premises that sell alcohol do under-age youths."

In this past 18 months, four licensed premises in the Strabane area have been prosecuted for the selling of alcohol to minors. The PSNI do seize any alcohol from those they suspect are underage and drinking in a public area.

When asked about the alchohol-related crime incidents he says, "We have a strict policy when violence is concerned, almost all cases that have enough evidence, will result in prosecution."

The PSNI would appeal to the public to report any licensed premises that may be serving minors.

"It would be advised to parents to keep a closer watch on your children, be aware of what they are doing and where they are going.

"If you do suspect that your child may be involved in under-age drinking inform me personally and I will ensure that the problem is dealt with."

Many feel the government need to introduce more funding so that community-based programmes can give teens an alternative to on street drinking.

At Springhill, Community activist, Paul Gallagher said, "We are currently trying to implicate new plans through the neighbourhood renewal plan.

"We are addressing the problem of under-age drinking and hopefully reducing the amount of under-age drinking and alcohol mis-use.

"We want to help those in the community that are marginalised and provide support services for those involved.

"Together with the help of the Western Drug and Alcohol association we will be able to provide education programmes to help the teens who are unaware of the dangers of alcohol."

It is undeniable that the issue of under-age drinking in streets, pubs and clubs can never completely be ruled out.

However as a community there are many ways to minimise the statistics. Working as a community may put a end to this problem.

I took to the streets of Strabane to gauge the opinions of local people on underage street drinking.

I asked, "Should more be done to prevent drinking in public places such as the Canal Basin and the River Walkway?

Local woman Dympna Kelly said, "Yes there should be more done as there are too many people drinking in streets and parks.

"It should also be dealt with by the PSNI. They should work together with the Council to solve and prevent this problem."

Suzanne Porter is angry that youths are using local amenities.

"I think it is a disgrace for so much money to be used on a public walkway, for youths to use it as a drinking place and to subject the area to high levels of vandalism.

"The people living around the area feel uncomfortable using the walk, which was initially to be used as a public attraction.

"More should be done to prevent this."

And Bryan McShane adds, "There should be more youth clubs and areas for teens to go, to keep them off the streets.

"Off-Sales should be more cautious as to who they are selling the alcohol to."

Strabane Chronicle