“We do not do inspections on purpose of checking whether they let children under the legal age to enter. We check only if they are operating in hygienic standards and with time schedule laws,” V. Narankhuu, juvenile criminal inspector for Bayanzurkh district police department, told MonInfo.

“The Chairman makes decisions to do inspections…girls and boys who are detained are taken to us. Usually around 10 children are brought during the inspections. Most of them are drunk girls. There used to be not more than 5 children, but lately it has been increasing.”

Narankhuu also added that most of the bars with underage drinking were lower income establishments who let anyone in to make profit.

“Of course we will not let any small children enter,” said P. Bayaraa, owner of the Chinggis Bar in Bayanzurkh district which has seating capacity for approximately 50.

“But we let them go in when they are with older guys, considering our revenues. It is mentioned in the laws that we can not do it though. Yet many small bars operate in this way.”

However some underage girls interview stated that they saw no problems in, “just having one.”

15 year old A. Uranhaich said, “We are not going to sleep in here. We will leave after only drinking one beer and dancing. What is so serious about that?”

Another underage drinker, 14 year old Z. Baigal, said, “We are just celebrating a birthday party here. We drank only one beer. Nothing is going to happen since my home is close by.”

Some bar owners expressed a mentality similar of that to underage juveniles, saying that many youth just come in to dance rather than drink.

“They are not becoming alcoholics so it is ok that they go in. They just come here to dance. They normally just get a soft drink or one beer,” said M. Zoljargal, manager of Khangarid bar.

“What is wrong if the bar is not crowded?”

Some youth said they find their money for taxi and beer many different ways.

“I will find money anywhere I want. I have even mortgaged my ring,” said Uranhaich, but Ts. Naranjargal said that she took money from her sister.

“My parents are abroad and I live with my sister. Today my sister said that she is not going to stay at home and asked me to stay with my friend over night, so I took some money from my sister.”

However some parents do not think that their child will spend the money they have given to their children for drinking in bars.

M. Bolor, mother of a 15 year old girl said, “I know that my daughter is not going to do that. She goes out with her friends. She is not going to go to bars. I trust my daughter.”

Narankhuu said that since virtually no penalties exist for breaking the underage drinking laws, the best way to curb the issue is through scolding the poor behavior.

“There is no better way other than discouraging and telling them that they can not go to bars. So we conduct training on agitating those children. There might be people who think it is useless but it has results. There is no child who is brought to us again and again,” he said.

Image copyright Luke Distelhorst