Underage drinking is rife in Marianas

The CNMI and Guam recorded an alarming number of minors who drink alcohol, and officials from both islands admit the practice has become prevalent and rampant in their communities.

In the CNMI, the Juvenile Probation Office reported a total of 58 minors involved in alcohol-related offenses in 2008.

These offenses, according to probation director Sylvio Ada during yesterday’s 5th Micronesian Youth Services Conference, are usually accompanied with assault with dangerous weapons, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and curfew violations.

Saipan Tribune learned that three minors were cited for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, as well as reckless driving last year.

Of the 58 violators, 49 were males and nine females, of various ethnicities.

“December was the month we saw the highest peak,” Ada said, adding that his office recorded 18 offenses during the holiday season alone.

Because the nature of the violations are usually accompanied with assault and battery offenses, corresponding penalties range only between six months and three years’ incarceration.

Meantime, the Department of Public Safety disclosed that arrests of minors found consuming alcohol was 445 in 2003, 226 in 2007, and 347 in 2008.

In Guam, officials disclosed that one out of every three minors in their community are involved in underage drinking, based on a youth-risk survey conducted in 2007.

The report indicated that 7.8 percent of Guam high school students are drinking and driving—a 19-percent increase from the previous data.

Rebecca Respicio and Audrey Topasco, Guam’s representatives in yesterday’s conference, said the same survey found that female minors are also drinking as much as their male counterparts.

One important finding, they said, was the correlation between underage drinking and plans to commit suicide. Suicide, they said, is the leading cause of death among the youth in Guam.

Check stores, establishments

The Alcohol Beverage Tobacco Control Division recommended a more regular and close monitoring of major stores and establishments around the islands to curb underage drinking.

Participants at the conference alleged that many stores, particularly those owned by Chinese nationals, secretly allow the sale of alcohol to minors, even beyond the 10pm liquor ban.

Fr. Florentino Recaido, in a discussion with panelists yesterday, disclosed that some youths have confessed to him where they buy their alcohol.

“Is there any way our Commerce Department can closely look at these Chinese stores because, in conversation with some minors, they admitted buying those prohibited alcohol from them,” Recaido said.

ABTC director David Maratita admitted that the department—as much as it wants to check everything—can not make it happen because of a severe lack of manpower.

His division has only two enforcers trying their best to check and monitor all 657 establishments on island.

“This is why we need to come together because we can’t do it all. We’re understaffed,” he said.

Lenient law, community problem

Michael Evangelista from the CNMI Attorney General’s Office said they are currently reviewing the current statutes on juveniles and would soon make recommendations for its amendment.

He believes that the practice of selling alcohol to minors is a result of the “very lenient” juvenile law in the CNMI, which he said penalizes establishment-violators only $100 and up to 90-day imprisonment for such offense.

“For these clubs, bars, and stores…$100 is nothing,” he said.

Rep. Ramon Tebuteb pointed out, though, that increasing the penalty on violators is not a guarantee that the number of underage drinking cases would decrease.

“Can we guarantee that if we increase these penalties, the number of our underage drinkers would decrease? I believe we have to also work on prevention and focus our efforts on discipline,” he told the crowd, adding that he is also supportive of amending the juvenile act.

Starting this year, all Micronesian islands will be getting some $350,000 in federal grant each to address underage drinking.