Thirty-three Queen’s students were charged with violating the Liquor Licence Act during Homecoming weekend this year.
Charges include unlawfully keeping liquor for sale, unlawfully offering liquor for sale and unlawfully selling liquor.
If convicted, they would have been fined up to $1,000 for each of the three charges. Kingston Police Const. Brad Brooker said because the students voluntarily attended a two-hour seminar at the Kingston Police Station on responsible alcohol use and civil liability, they were allowed to plead guilty to only one of the three charges they faced and were fined $200 each. In the seminar, students learned how to properly use and serve alcohol and be responsible party hosts.
Const. Brooker, who is in charge of liquor enforcement, said he has been running these seminars for four years with positive from both students and residents.
Before Homecoming weekend this year, Brooker and the AMS hosted two seminars for students.
“We’re trying to use these classes as preventative,” Brooker said. “We aren’t saying students shouldn’t party; we just want them to do it safely and properly within the law.”
Brooker said many students leave the seminar saying they wish they had known the information before deciding to hold parties.
The value of everything seized over Homecoming weekend amounted to $1,650, with $1,300 in property and $350 in cash. The money was given to the Greater Kingston Safe and Sober Alliance, which gave it to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
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