.
Search
 Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad  Print this page

Protecting minors

Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (June 10/05) - Adults who are found providing alcohol to minors are going to find it very costly.

RCMP Cpl. Al Shepherd said police in Fort Simpson are making a concerted effort to curtail this crime.



Pat Waugh, a support person with the Fort Simpson Justice Committee, holds a poster that her daughter Vanessa created. It will be on display in the Fort Simpson liquor store and possibly in liquor stores across the NWT.


The Liidlii Kue First Nation and community members at large have been expressing outrage at the number of drunken young people in Fort Simpson, he noted.

A few occurrences of adults supplying alcohol to those under age 19 have already gone before the justice of the peace court, according to Shepherd. Other cases will be on the docket in the coming weeks and more charges are pending.

The court is dealing with this seriously, he said. First-time offenders have generally been receiving fines of $1,000. The maximum is $5,000 and/or up to a year in jail.

Repeat offenders stand to pay a fine of between $5,000-$10,000 and/or up to two years behind bars.

Whether it's an adult selling liquor to teens or a 19-22 year old giving his younger friends beer at a party, there will be a steep price to pay, Shepherd warned.

"It's going to be really expensive," he said.

"We're just trying to send a strong message that this type of behaviour won't be tolerated."

Although the teenagers who consume the alcohol - mostly 15-16 year olds, but Shepherd said there have been some as young as 13 - could also face charges, the police have been trying to leave them in the care of responsible adults, preferably parents. Those who are agreeable later go before the justice circle for counselling from community members and elders. Nevertheless, the youth are interviewed by the RCMP to find out where the alcohol came from.

Concerned teenager Vanessa Waugh spent four days working on a poster to convey the perils of supplying alcohol to minors. Her artwork proclaims "Under age drinking can open a lot of doors." There are several doorways depicted with labels overhead: Unwanted pregnancy, domestic violence, fines, rape, alcoholism, jail and death.

The poster will be hung up at the Fort Simpson liquor store, where it is to serve as a stark reminder to patrons that teens and alcohol shouldn't mix. Pat Waugh, Vanessa's mother and a support person with the Fort Simpson justice committee, said she and her daughter are troubled that people providing liquor to minors don't stop to think about the "real life" consequences of their actions.