Police Chief's warning message on the bottle

Editorial Department • Published 10 Jun 2010 16:00

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Fermanagh's police chief has a drink problem.

Chief Inspector Graham Dodds reckons that any day now the county's kids are going to hit the bottle. Exams finished they'll be necking it like fish.

And while the police "don't want to spoil anyone's party" that invitation to drink and be merry doesn't extend to anyone under the age of 18.

They can forget those traditional "celebratory moments" because "police in the area believe that some of these have gone too far in the past".

Chief Inspector Dodds says it is "a rite of passage" but not a right if you are not the right age, otherwise the only passage you might be walking down is to a police cell.

The message in a bottle is: "Take to the booze and you'll be busted."

Because while Chief Inspector Dodds and his men know that the end of exams can sometimes lead to "understandable high spirits", presumably such as vodka and gin, they have taken on a "darker side", an obvious reference to Guinness.

Whatever the poison it all ends up the same way with "pupils overindulging in alcohol and getting into trouble".

Police already have the dates of the end of exams and exam results pencilled into their dairies and "will be paying special attention to these to seek to ensure that high spirits do not get out of hand, particularly if alcohol is involved".

And if you have just finished a multiple choice exam, Chief Inspector Dodds has this sobering reminder: "We don't want to spoil anyone's party, but nor do we want to see a future career spoiled by one night of bad choices."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 10 Jun 10

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