Prague, Jan 21 (CTK) – The Czech police revealed 660 children and youths who violated law by drinking alcohol in restaurants within checks organised from October to December, including 22 children who were aged under 15, Deputy Police President Martin Vondrasek told journalists yesterday.
The police arrested 178 of the children.The most heavily drunk was a boy from Central Bohemia whose blood alcohol concentration was 0.325 percent. Eight children used narcotic substances, mostly marihuana.
Vondrasek said the parents of the arrested children mostly tolerated the drinking of their offspring and downplayed it, arguing that they had drunk alcohol as children as well.
The check concerned 4000 restaurants and 18,000 people. Alcohol consumption was uncovered in 638 juveniles aged 15 to 18 and 22 children under 15. Narcotics use was found in eight under-age children.
The check was launched in reaction to an OECD report according to which the number of children having experienced alcohol has increased from 70 to 94 percent since 2002. Young Czechs have long topped European alcohol drinking rankings.
Drug coordinator Jindrich Voboril said one fifth of Czechs have crossed the alcohol consumption risk line. Ninety-seven Czech juveniles do not consider legal drugs, that is alcohol and tobacco, a risk.
kva,ms/dr
