Kids enjoy a boozy start to summer

Finnish police have reported that they were run ragged during the first weekend after the schools broke up for summer, confiscating thousands of litres of alcohol from under age would-be drinkers.

In the first weekend in June alone, officers seized 2,500 litres of booze, mainly from teenagers aged 15 to 17. There were, however, more than 100 under 15 year-olds who also committed alcohol offences.

The majority of the drink found in the youngsters’ possession was beer and cider, but more than 120 litres of hard liquor was also unearthed, according to reports. Police records indicate that 1,500 children and teens were found drinking or in possession of alcohol, resulting in 750 reports, fines or summary penal orders, and 1,100 calls to the child protection authorities.

There were a further 13 incidences of drug-related crime, prompting police to urge parents to talk to their children about their safe growth and development. “Places where older youths meet and use significant amounts of alcohol aren’t suitable for minors,” noted police inspector Ari Jarvenpaa in a YLE report.

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