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Dumfries and Galloway Council

Question: What is your view on teenagers drinking and smoking in the streets? Do you think they should have free facilities to use? :)

Asked by morgan1 to Alastair, Elaine, Jane, Sandra, Ted on 27 Sep 2010 in Categories: .

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  • Photo: Sandra McDowallSandra McDowall answered on 24 Sep 2010:

    I don’t like to see either. Smoking is bad for your health and it’s better never to start. I know from experience how difficult it is to stop. I think drinking is acceptable in appropriate places; I enjoy an occasional glass of wine myself but I don’t think the street is the proper place. It is much better to meet in comfortable surroundings and ejoy the company of others.

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  • Photo: Elaine MurrayElaine Murray answered on 24 Sep 2010:

    There are byelaws in several towns prohibiting drinking alcohol in the street – these are aimed at everyone, not just teenagers, and the Police can remove alcohol from anyone found drinking in these areas. There’s no such prohibition against smoking in the street but the law prohibits the sale of cigarettes to persons under 18, the same applies to alcohol, So if teenagers under the age of 18 are drinking or smoking in the street someone has broken the law in providing it for them.

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  • Photo: Jane MaitlandJane Maitland answered on 27 Sep 2010:

    I like to see people out on the streets – it gives places a feeling of being alive. What you do there is a matter of good manners.

    Let me say straight away that smoking is just an expensive smelly habit, full stop!

    Drinking: if teenagers (or anyone else for that matter) drinks in a manner that interferes with other people in any public place, then I think society has the right to object. I have in the past resisted the urge to criminalise drinking in the streets because we are not tackling the underlying issue of showing respect for each other, young and old.

    Free facilities, morgan1? For what? Smoking and drinking?!

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  • Photo: Alastair WittsAlastair Witts answered on 27 Sep 2010:

    Smoking has been proved to be bad for your health, but provided you are over 18 and want to risk your health, I wouldn’t go as far as to ban smoking in public. You are only risking yourself. Drinking in public is different, and the more people drink the more they lose self control, so no, I don’t want to see young people (or older people too, for that matter) walking along the street drinking from cans and bottles. That could easily become a risk to others- fights breaking out, etc, and surely other people have a right to walk along the street without being threatened in that way? I’m OK about people sitting outside a pub or cafe on a nice day having a drink at a table, preferably with something to eat as well. That’s the civilised way they do it in places like Spain and Italy.

    I don’t quite understand the second part of the question. Free facilities? Like free drink and fags for teenagers? You’re not on!

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