Caught drinking

ecdl07

I'm 16. I was out with my friends at the weekend and we were drinking. A Garda came up to us and made us pour the drink down a drain and he also took our names and addresses. I'm just wondering will he contact my parent? what are there any penalties? please!

Nervous Wreck

Had my name and number taken by the Gards a few times when I was a young lad. They rang my parents once. Apart from that incident, my parents were never contacted when I was stopped (for skating on private property, drinking, loitering etc). Should be grand as long as ye didn't mouth off or anything.

pierrot

Unless you had a go at one of them personally, I wouldn't be worried. Find a more discreet place to drink in future.

flyton5

Nah that goes in the notebook and gets forgotton about. Turns out guards DO have more important things to be dealing with. Dont be worrying about it.

LegacyUser

ecdl07 wrote: »

I'm 16. I was out with my friends at the weekend and we were drinking. A Garda came up to us and made us pour the drink down a drain and he also took our names and addresses. I'm just wondering will he contact my parent? what are there any penalties? please!

wouldnt worry about it they wil do nothing bout that would have been worst if ye were caught wit drugs

Liam Byrne

pierrot wrote: »

Unless you had a go at one of them personally, I wouldn't be worried. Find a more discreet place to drink in future.

Didn't know we were allowed to promote illegal activities on boards.ie!!

OP - here's your best option : give it up until it's legal for you to drink it. Drinking alone or in "discreet places" has even dodgier consequences than a call from the Gardai to your parents.....long-term, you might end up wishing they had called them.

Very lax by the Gardai, too......they should AT LEAST have asked how or where you bought it.

My dad had one rule - he didn't mind what age I started drinking as long as he bought the first one.......great approach, and has stood to me to this day - having a drink and some craic without binge-drinking or being completely paralytic or not remembering how I got home.....

Zaph

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Didn't know we were allowed to promote illegal activities on boards.ie!!

If you have a problem with a post please use the Report Post button rather than commenting on-thread.

Thanks

pierrot wrote: »

Unless you had a go at one of them personally, I wouldn't be worried. Find a more discreet place to drink in future.

pierrot, as has been pointed out, encouraging illegal activity on Boards is not permitted. Infraction given.

pierrot

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Didn't know we were allowed to promote illegal activities on boards.ie!!

Its not illegal to drink alcohol in private.

Zaph

pierrot wrote: »

Its not illegal to drink alcohol in private.

The legal drinking age in Ireland is 18. It is therefore illegal for anyone under this age to consume alcohol, no matter where that takes place.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

pierrot wrote: »

Its not illegal to drink alcohol in private.

It is if you're underage.

OP - Will they contact your parents? Possibly, possibly not. My guess is that they'll just make a note in case you get caught again. If you do, then they'll probably contact your parents. This is preferable to any form of arrest or 'penalties' (which is only really a last resort).

pierrot

Zaph wrote: »

The legal drinking age in Ireland is 18. It is therefore illegal for anyone under this age to consume alcohol, no matter where that takes place.

I respectfully disagree. You must be 18 to consume alcohol in a public place, or to purchase alcohol, but consuming there is no law against consuming alcohol in private. If i'm wrong about this, i apologise, but i think this is the case.

hussey

Zaph wrote: »

The legal drinking age in Ireland is 18. It is therefore illegal for anyone under this age to consume alcohol, no matter where that takes place.

Not so black and white I am afraid
http://www.drinkaware.ie/index.php?sid=6&pid=134

It is also an offence to drink alcohol when you are under 18, unless you do so in a private residence and with the express permission of one of your parents or guardians.

But we know that the OP did not have this and doesn't relate to the thread.
(FYI to people)

OP - you made your bed, you knew the consequences, now you must deal with it.

SoupyNorman

OP the police use this as a scare tactic to achieve the exact response from you now, I would imagine that you are not feeling like having a drink again for a good like while perhaps!

wandatowell

its all part of growing up, only thing I can say is try and find a better spot for bushing

Joey the lips

Dont worry about it. I did the same but was not cheaky with the guards. It made for a very funny incident later when I asked the guard for a reference for a job.

Its wrong to be drinking at your age but I think once you take it easy just accept the telling off the guards dont really bother. They dont know what they are walking into ie bad domestic household etc.

c - 13

Well it really depends on the guard, my brother was 17, bought a box of beer in a local centra and was walking home with and the guards pulled up asked for ID and took the drink off him. He wasnt drinking it at the time but had purchased and was in possession of it.

Guards called to the house to speak to my parents about it and recommended my brother talk to a councillor. My parents didnt mind him drinking either way but thats not really the point.

Basically long story short my parents called the councillor about speaking to my brother and he asked if they thought he had a drinking problem, when my parents said no (he rarely drinks) the councillor told them not to worry about sending him in that he's mark him down as having attended.

The police then put pressure on the family for my brother to go to court and basically shop the place that sold him the drink and if he didnt that "things may progress further". He refused to go to court and that was the last we heard of it two years ago.

CHD

Wouldnt worry anout it at all, but dont let that encourage you too do it again.

Irishpimpdude

I know about 3-4 people that got a 30 euro fine in the door from DCC after a guard took there names, so there is a chance that could happen but i think that fine is now about 100 euro...

Edit just found this

Intoxicating Liquor Byelaws
The South Dublin County Council (Prohibition of Consumption of Intoxicating Liquor in Public Places) Byelaws came into force on 9th August 2001.

Amongst the enforcement measures available in the Byelaws is the serving of a Fixed Payment Notice (On the Spot Fine),requiring the payment of €63.50.

Fixed Payment Notices are issued by the Council on receipt of notification from An Garda Síochána of a contravention of the Byelaws.

Where payment is not forthcoming within 21 days the Council takes proceedings in the District Court.

Source:http://parks.southdublin.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=89&Itemid=150

Liam Byrne

pierrot wrote: »

I respectfully disagree. You must be 18 to consume alcohol in a public place, or to purchase alcohol, but consuming there is no law against consuming alcohol in private. If i'm wrong about this, i apologise, but i think this is the case.

You're actually mostly correct; under 18 at home is permitted with the parents' consent.

So look at the OP's post: scared of his parents finding out.

But aside from that : How many Gardai do you know catch people doing anything in a private place ?

pierrot

Liam Byrne wrote: »

You're actually mostly correct; under 18 at home is permitted with the parents' consent.

So look at the OP's post: scared of his parents finding out.

But aside from that : How many Gardai do you know catch people doing anything in a private place ?

Yep, i was proving a point on a technicality. What I would say is that drinking at 16 is part of growing up for most people in this country, and it'll be done regardless, so OP would be better off doing it discreetly/responsibly and try to avoid drunk and disorderly underage out in public which is worse altogether.

Genghiz Cohen

If it comes down to it, be straight up with your parents, be mature, tell the truth.
Show them you can drink responsibly and they may give consent for you to have one or two at home, or even at a friends house.
I straight out asked my mother could I have a drink if I went out, she said as long as I didn't get hammered it was fine.

Not promoting illegal drinking, but your parents did it their parents did it, you're doing it and your kids will do it.

Be mature and things will probably work out for the best.

Wagon

ecdl07 wrote: »

I'm 16. I was out with my friends at the weekend and we were drinking. A Garda came up to us and made us pour the drink down a drain and he also took our names and addresses. I'm just wondering will he contact my parent? what are there any penalties? please!

don't be worrying, nothing will come of it. Once you didn't give cheek I doubt they'll give it a second thought

sardineta

Given the state of the country's finances, don't be surprised if you get a fine in the post.

Liam Byrne

pierrot wrote: »

Yep, i was proving a point on a technicality. What I would say is that drinking at 16 is part of growing up for most people in this country, and it'll be done regardless, so OP would be better off doing it discreetly/responsibly and try to avoid drunk and disorderly underage out in public which is worse altogether.

No - you told the OP to drink somewhere less public (i.e. somewhere hidden).

The law allows 16-year-olds to drink at home with a parent's consent.....it does not allow them to go somewhere else (e.g. an older mate's flat or down by the river somewhere quiet) and drink there.

Drinking at 16 is not necessarily "a part of growing up for most people in this country"; and saying things like that on public web boards is adding to the peer pressure and normalisation of it. :mad:

And unless you're drinking at home with parental supervision / permission, it's 100% illegal.

It doesn't take much will-power to not do it, thereby avoiding not only drinking too early but also the unsupervised binge-drinking crap that goes with a teenage+secret drinking scenario.

PLUS, since when does "drinking" automatically become "drunk/disorderly" ??? It's is possible to have one or two.....by including that, you're adding yet another illegal (and health) angle....being drunk and disorderly is ANOTHER offence (one that applies to any age).

Corkfeen

He did say avoid being drunk and disorderly. I'd say the majority of teenagers drink, not condoning it. Though I don't think anyone should drink at all till they're about 16 at the very earliest. Drunken 14 and 13 year olds is far too creepy tbh.

poisonated

Corkfeen wrote: »

He did say avoid being drunk and disorderly. I'd say the majority of teenagers drink, not condoning it. Though I don't think anyone should drink at all till they're about 16 at the very earliest. Drunken 14 and 13 year olds is far too creepy tbh.

I agree,its all part of being a teenager,even the gardai realise this and often have a bit of a laugh over it(because they understand your position)If you are too drink dont start too early and dont act the pr..k when out and about.I used to do it myself although I never acted like an ass.If you do feel you have to act the boll.. well then it will affect if the garda will call or not.
BTW drinking is bad:p
I only just turned 18 so I can look down on you guys still not legal and I feel your pain.