Drink Up, Kids

Schoolies begins and News Limited continues its casual endorsement of illegal underage drinking:

For years Danielle Papazafiropoulos and Ashley Orford, both 17 and (as of Thursday) former Miami High School students, had saved themselves for the next 10 days. "I haven't come in to Schoolies the previous years because I didn't want to spoil it," Danielle said.

Neither knew where they would get alcohol from for tonight, the traditional start of the festival, or even if they would drink at all.

"I don't want to get trashed either, I mean fair game for all the other kids that do but I want to remember it," Sophie said.

...despite all the evidence that we now have a generation of minors who are binge drinking alcoholics even before they're legally old enough to buy the stuff.

Reporter Michael Wray pays lip service to the law toward the end of the story:

Schoolies also have been warned that under-aged drinkers and those who supply them will be charged.

Whatever.

-- Nick

UPDATE: Schoolies begins and the Gold Coast Bulletin continues its creepy obsession with minor females, posting a photo on the front page of its website of a pair of bikini-clad schoolgirls, one of whom is nearly jumping out of her top.

The newspaper pays lip service to protecting girls from sexual predators with a story about fencing off parts of Surfers Paradise for next year's mass underage booze-up:

In another option being canvassed, a fence could be put around the beach and Esplanade precinct, with schoolies admitted to the enclosed section after presenting their registration wristbands. A fenced enclosure would create a physical barrier between the teenage event and the ordinary operations of Surfers, and also end the unwanted mixing of schoolies and older gatecrashers, known as 'toolies'.

That prospect gets the seal of approval from the only people who matter, 17 year old girls:

(Emmanuel College's Laura) Priest said she would feel safer from the unwanted advances of older men.

But the fact that it's proposed for next year creates an irony lost on another of the children:

Nerang State High School graduate James Walker... said a fence would also have benefits for the guys. "It would stop the toolies coming in so there would be more girls for us," he said.

Newsflash, Einstein - next year, you're a toolie.