Government is to meet with restaurant, bar and club owners later this month in a bid to crack down on anti-social drinking.And Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley has revealed that Cabinet has already discussed a number of initiatives, including mandatory ID checks in licensed premises, to curb drink-related problems.Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Dunkley said that, ideally, bar owners should be able to run their businesses without the need for heavy security measures, while patrons should be able to enjoy a night out without fear of encountering violence or anti-social behaviour.“However, recent incidents have demonstrated the need for extra care to be taken and for owners and operators of licensed premises to remain vigilant and to be prepared to take action,” Mr Dunkley said.“The Ministry of Public Safety believes that there is a wealth of knowledge about the running of licensed premises in Bermuda and there is the potential for industry success where we encourage effective, open communication and collaboration around best practice in the area of security and safety in this business.“Therefore, I am pleased to advise this Honourable House that I have organised a meeting of owners and operators of bars, restaurants and clubs for Wednesday, July 17.“The aim of this meeting is to hear directly from those people most familiar with the issues that exist in this business today and to initiate a dialogue which will promote a safer environment for them and their patrons.”Mr Dunkley said that mandatory ID checks, activating bar codes on driving licenses and properly classifying energy drinks, were among a range of initiatives recently discussed by Cabinet.He added that the Department of National Drug Control, the Ministry is examining laws to see how licensed premises can be made safer.And he urged parents of teenagers tempted by alcohol to set a good example and “demonstrate habits, values and messages that we’d like to see our children adopt”. In a 2011 survey, more than half of middle school students said they had consumed alcohol, taking their first drink at an average age of around 12.“I am particularly concerned about underage drinking and the possibility of incidents of underage drinking peaking during summer months,” Mr Dunkley said.“During the summer we will continue to focus our efforts towards preventing our young people from developing dangerous alcohol habits.“This survey suggests that a number of Bermuda’s young people under the legal drinking age of 18 have experimented with alcohol. Many of these children report that the easiest place to obtain alcohol is in their own home. This is not to say that parents are deliberately providing their children with alcohol, but parents must take extra precautionary measures when storing alcohol in the home, especially in the case of older teenagers left home alone.“The dangers of alcohol use and abuse should be taught to children, and clear rules set. Bermuda’s summer time party atmosphere often portrays alcohol consumption in a positive light. Young people can be led to believe that alcohol makes everything more fun, so the desire to consume alcohol is strong. We want to encourage all parents to continuously supervise their children in the summer months to ensure they are not participating in risky behaviours.“Our young people are able to get involved in a variety of activities to prevent dangerous behaviours, such as summer camps, and swimming and snorkelling camps, dance camps and more. We need to be proactive and steer our young people in the right direction so they become positive members of society who are equipped to make well informed choices regarding alcohol behaviour.”