By Cameron Weston
YOUTHS caught drinking alcohol in Hobsons Bay will face a choice under a new program jointly run by police and the council.
Police or council officers will dish out forms to under-age drinkers under the program, titled Your Choice.
The youths will then have 14 days to fill out the form, indicating that they are willing to attend a two-hour seminar about the dangers of unsupervised under-age drinking.
Failure to submit the form will result in the more traditional response to under-age drinking – that is imposing a fine of up to $400.
“We give offenders an option – your choice – to either receive an on-the-spot infringement notice or to attend a two-hour seminar where there will be a series of lectures,” said Acting-Sergeant Vince Zurzolo from Altona North Police.
“Youths will have to attend the seminars with a parent or guardian.
“We’ve noticed issuing penalty notices doesn’t always help, and the aim of the program is to educate rather than punish.”
Sgt Zurzolo said Your Choice was originally trialled in NSW, and proved effective in the outer Melbourne suburb of Sunbury.
He said the program resulted in low rates of re-offending and would soon be operating across Hobsons Bay.
Hobsons Bay mayor Carl Marsich said the program was a positive way of tackling under-age drinking in the municipality.
“Warnings and fines do not deter young people from re-offending. The council feels education is a key element of solving the under-age drinking problem,” he said.
