Qld: More underage schoolies

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2000
Qld: More underage schoolies

BRISBANE, Dec 4 AAP - The number of under-age drinkers found during schoolies celebrations
in Queensland had already passed the total of last year, Queensland Liquor Licensing Minister
Merri Rose said today.

Ms Rose said another 69 offenders had been detected during the past week in raids on
the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

"That takes the total to 215 under-age offenders - 42 more than for the whole of Schoolies
1999 and more than double the 101 of 1998 - and we still have a week to go before the
formal end of the festival," Ms Rose said.

Inspectors had checked the identification of almost 1,000 people during the past week
and found 51 offenders from New South Wales, seven from Queensland, 10 from Victoria and
one from South Australia.

Ms Rose said the incidence of young adults supplying liquor to minors remained a major
problem, with 10 instances detected over the past week.

Most of the offenders had been issued with on-the-spot infringement notices.

Ms Rose said while underage drinking was a perennial problem during Schoolies, the
vast majority of the school leavers had been well behaved.

"They are here to have a good time and they are doing so," she said.

AAP jfs/sc/cjh

KEYWORD: SCHOOLIES (CARRIED EARLIER)

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