OVER the past few weeks, several local authorities have swung into action and moved to close bars or nightclubs allowing under-age children to buy and consume alcohol.

The latest is in Kasama where the council apprehended 50 people including 42 under-age children.

What really makes the difference is that adults who were thought to be abetting the consumption of alcohol by children were also rounded up by the authorities.

What should now be emphasised in this renewed vigilance to reduce alcoholism among children is that adults who, in any way, contribute or encourage the young people to commit such acts should face stiffer punishment.

This means that there must be moves to review the by-laws and other related legislation so that the legal framework is able to provide for appropriate sanctions against erring adults who include businesspersons.

The department of child affairs under the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development and the social welfare department at the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare must take keen interest in this fight against child alcoholism.

The two departments must take time and visit parents of children involved in juvenile delinquency and see how their expertise can be brought to bear on the campaign against child alcoholism.

This is important because parenting also plays a critical role on the character of a child. How the parents behave, the sort of environment under which a child is brought up in, will determine personal character.

The immediate danger of having young children who indulge in alcohol is that, there is high likelihood of these juveniles turning to crime to sustain their habits.

Since they may mostly engage in petty crime, the problem may appear to be peripheral but the impact of having a disoriented and alcoholic generation will be felt in future when a nation has to live with unproductive adults or adults who depend on criminal activities.

In short, the fight against juvenile delinquency should not just begin and end at apprehending young people involved in alcohol consumption but should be multi-faceted with clear short, mid and long-term strategies.