Brew, drug penalties more severe

 LAWS have changed and those who cultivate, brew, sell and consume marijuana and homebrew will be dealt with severely, a police officer has warned.

Officer in charge of community policing in Lae Sgt Alois Gabour said this yesterday when witnessing a youth group at Ricefield community in Wampar ward 12 surrendering their homebrew kits before Wampar local level government president Michael Puane at the Sepik Tais settlement.

Under the changes, Gabour said an arrested and charged offender would pay a bail of K2,000 for illegally brewing alcohol, K1,000 for consuming the illegal substance and K500 for drinking alcohol in public and being disorderly.

“For the jail terms, an offender will get a one-year jail sentence with hard labour for both marijuana and homebrew,” he warned.

Gabour said it was important for children to know the laws and penalties.

“Change will happen when you want change to happen, it is up to each one of you, law and order is everyone’s business,” he said.

Puane asked parents and families to discourage their unemployed youths from such illegal activities and to make use of opportunities to help themselves and their families.

“We need these young people in the next level of developments, which will come in this LLG in the near future and we will try to tap into these developments,” he said.