No one below 18 years of age will be allowed to consume liquor in bars and hotels on the night of December 31.

The rule has been in force for years; followed more in breach than compliance.

Hours before the city erupts in year-end revelry on Saturday night, the police brass has conveyed to all concerned that any violation will be dealt with sternly this time.

What has prompted Lalbazar to wake up to the booze-law flout were a series of complaints by parents who had gone through the ?agony? of seeing their minor children returning home drunk on January 1 morning.

?A special instruction has been issued to all policemen ? from the rank of constable to deputy commissioner ? who will be on the road on Saturday night. They have been asked to keep a close eye on those entering bars and hotels,? said Anuj Sharma, deputy commissioner (headquarters).

More than two dozen parents, he added, had approached senior officers and requested them to take steps to check their children from boozing.

?The parents told us that last year, their children were heavily intoxicated when they returned home. They also realise that it would not be sensible to force their children to stay home in the year-end. So, they have requested us to ensure that the youngsters have their fill of joy and yet do not get to taste liquor,? said a senior officer, who received calls from several parents on Friday.

If anyone below 18 is caught drinking, he will be brought to the nearest police station, where he will be made to wait for a few hours till the parents turn up.

The errant bar or restaurant, however, will not be let off that easily. ?The authorities will be served a show-cause notice. If the reply is not satisfactory, legal action will be taken against them. We may even revoke the bar licence,? Sharma asserted.

Breathalyser brigade

Apart from keeping a close eye on teenagers, police have also initiated a number of measures to provide Calcuttans a ?peaceful? year-end night.

?We will set up 28 pickets at strategic points in the central and south divisions. Special checking points will be set up at 14 spots to prevent incidents of rash or drunken driving,? Sharma pointed out.

Deputy commissioner (traffic) Jawed Shamim said at least 2,500 cops would be on the road on Saturday night. ?This is the first time traffic police will work overnight. Earlier, the cops used to be withdrawn after midnight.?

Officers will guard against drunken driving. ?We will use four breathalysers for on-the-spot checking. If a cop without the gadget finds anyone driving under the influence of alcohol, the accused will have to go through a three-step test,? Shamim added.