Parents have been urged to monitor their children in a bid to enhance their safety during the school holidays.
Meru County Alcoholic and Drinks Control Board CEO Dr Mbabu Muguna said parents should ensure the children do not indulge in drugs and alcohol during the holidays.
Speaking to the media in Meru town, Dr Muguna said it is the responsibility of the parents to take care of their children now that the learners are not in the hands of teachers.
He regretted that many parents find it a burden to take care of their children when they are on holiday.
“Some parents are sending their children to buy them alcohol during the holidays. They write notes to the buyer and since children are very curious by nature they read and discover they have been sent to buy alcohol.”
“That is how they are inevitably lured into consuming alcohol. This habit must stop under all cost,” said Dr. Muguna.
He called on bar owners to desist from selling alcohol to children failure to which they will face severe punishment including arrest and prosecution.
Dr. Muguna also called on the parents, chiefs, teachers, leaders and residents to always be good role models to the children since they copy a lot of things from grown ups.
“Let the community take the initiative and shine for the society by eliminating the sale and consumption of illicit brews and drugs. We should never sell alcohol to minors. It will lead to immorality.
“I urge parents to be good role models to their children,” said Dr. Muguna.
He called on the community to raise an alarm once they spot a bar mushrooming near estates and cautioned the chiefs against protecting such people.
He added that alcohol and drug abuse could lead to early pregnancies, school drop out, poverty, immortality and increase in crimes among other vices.
Dr Muguna advised education stakeholders to form girl child and boy child protection and empowerment groups to fight such vices.
