Children drinking

[bailey]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6596515.stm

Is it just me that finds this a bit ridiculous?

My parents introduced me to alcohol when I was a kid and brought me up with it being one of those things to enjoy in a family/friends situation.

Certainly I've been out on more drinking sessions than I care to remember but at 31 years old I can safely say I know how much I can and cannot drink and don't have a drinking problem.

Sure, there's a problem with young people binge drinking but I don't think this is the answer.

 

[bailey]

Parents who give alcohol to children aged under 15 should be prosecuted, a charity has said.

The call comes in an Alcohol Concern report on the government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

The study highlights figures that suggest a large increase in the amount of alcohol being drunk by 11 to 13-year-olds.

Public health minister Caroline Flint told the BBC she did not think the proposals would be enforceable.

Alcohol Concern also wants a 16% rise in alcohol taxes, a ban on brewers selling to retailers at a loss, and a crackdown on under-age alcohol sales.

It is currently illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency.

'Stronger message'

The charity would include meal times at home in the ban on giving alcohol to young people.

Frank Soodeen, a campaigns officer for Alcohol Concern, said: "We are facing a new social reality where children seem to be adopting older behaviour at a younger age.


Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol
Srabani Sen
Alcohol Concern

"One of the things we need to do is get parents on board."

He also suggested there was a need to consider new legislation regarding the issue.

The charity would like to see a ban on alcohol advertising before the 9pm television watershed and non-18 certificate films in cinemas.

The National Curriculum should include alcohol education to teach about the dangers of binge drinking, it added.

Alcohol Concern said the drink-drive limit should be lowered from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood.

'Serious consequences'

The figures, published by the NHS's information centre last November, showed boys aged 11 to 13 drank an average of 12 units of alcohol a week in 2006 compared to eight in 2000. The figure for girls increased from five units to eight.

Alcohol Concern chief executive Srabani Sen said: "Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol.

"Binge drinking by children can have serious consequences for brain function, significantly raises the risk of alcohol dependency in later life and diminishes their life chances."

The charity's Glass Half Empty report looked at the government's strategy which was published three years ago.

'Sensible message'

Ms Flint said there would be difficulties in enforcing a ban on drinking in the home.

"I don't think passing a law to ban alcohol for those under 15 would be enforceable or necessarily effective.

"But certainly one of the things that we do need to think about is how we all, as parents with families, do what we can do to have a sensible drinking message within our own homes."

She also said the government was serious about tackling alcohol-related harm and that levels of binge drinking were no longer rising.

"Recent figures showed there has been a 5% drop between 2001 and 2006, of young people aged between 11 and 15 who had drunk alcohol in the previous week.

"The new alcohol strategy to be published this summer will continue to drive reductions in alcohol related offending and harmful behaviour through a combination of education, treatment and tough penalties."

Meanwhile, the BBC's Helen Neil said there were calls for alcohol education to be included in the national curriculum in order to raise awareness about the dangers posed by drinking.

She said tighter control on drinks advertising have also been suggested by campaigners.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Everyone's different in their approach, personally I couldn't stand the taste of alcohol, even beer, until I hit eighteen or nineteen and then couldn't get enough of the stuff.

 

[rool]

I don't let my kids drink but I will let them taste if they ask. They never ever like it and I think it takes the mystery out of it.

I have friends who go spare if they see their kids take a sneaky taste and I'm sure making it forbidden in this way will heighten their desire to do it behind their backs as they get older.

 

[Croydonbloke]

Don`t think kids should be encoraged to drink or even taste Alcohol. Letting them taste it only forces them into wanting to try it again and again which could lead to a problem when they reach their late teens. They could also be tempted to raid the cabinet when you are not about. Don`t make it a problem from an early stage.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Children from our European counterparts drink from an early age and they do not have such an anti-social behaviour problem. We have a binge drinking culture which does not stem from drinking from early ages, but crass marketing of alcopops and spirits for 50p a shot etc.

 

[Rougvie]

I was waiting for a train at Wimbledon on Friday night and there was a group of about 5 12/13 yr old urchins and a woman who looked about 25ish who I guess was a parent, she went into the Cafe and came out with about 6 cans of Stella and started passing them round then got on another train.

I think that these are the parents that thery should be tackling, not the ones that allow their kids to have the odd shandy.

 

[bailey]

Children from our European counterparts drink from an early age and they do not have such an anti-social behaviour problem. We have a binge drinking culture which does not stem from drinking from early ages, but crass marketing of alcopops and spirits for 50p a shot etc.

Exactly. Binge drinking is a cultural problem that is not going to be solved by prosecuting parents who let their children try drinks at home.

 

[Trufflehound]

Children from our European counterparts drink from an early age and they do not have such an anti-social behaviour problem. We have a binge drinking culture which does not stem from drinking from early ages, but crass marketing of alcopops and spirits for 50p a shot etc.

Exactly.

Peer pressure also has a lot to answer for imo. Kids have to realise that being drunk isn't "cool".

I was introduced gradually to beer and wine from about the age of ten, and it took me a while to get used to and appreciate the subtleties of the adult tastes. If alcoholic lemonade had been available in my youth I'd probably be dead now...





After all, a shlow shtartsh shneverd didge me enny harmsh...




*hic*




(Edit: Such a slow start that apparently it's still 2004 here...)

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Exactly. Binge drinking is a cultural problem that is not going to be solved by prosecuting parents who let their children try drinks at home.

Right on. It would be more appropriate to spend that time and energy on tackling the binge culture. How they do this is tricky. Raise taxes on spirits? Even stronger control and prosecute nightclubs that continue to serve drunk patrons?

 

[Skint Gull]

Where do they get the stat that 11-13 year olds drink an AVERAGE of 12 units per week? Tha's a bloody lot for a child of that age to be drinking?

I don't for one minute think parents introducing their teens to alcohol is a problem, in fact i think it's probably the best way. However 12 units per week as an average for someone that age is CRAZY!

 

[Trufflehound]

Right on. It would be more appropriate to spend that time and energy on tackling the binge culture. How they do this is tricky. Raise taxes on spirits? Even stronger control and prosecute nightclubs that continue to serve drunk patrons?

Kids are heavily influenced by the behaviour of their heroes.

So when they look up to the likes of Pete Doherty and Freddie Flintoff, we're all screwed...

 

[Croydonbloke]

Why do we need to binge drink anyway. The bars and clubs are open till late so not as if you`re under any pressure to down loads before a certain time is it.

 

[seagurn]

stick to youre shandys croydon bloke

 

[sten_super]

Where do they get the stat that 11-13 year olds drink an AVERAGE of 12 units per week? Tha's a bloody lot for a child of that age to be drinking?

I don't for one minute think parents introducing their teens to alcohol is a problem, in fact i think it's probably the best way. However 12 units per week as an average for someone that age is CRAZY!

Yeah that is quite a worrying statistic!

I think the key is education. The article is making a big deal out of raising the drinking age, but I don't believe this would make much difference, primarily as it is un-enforcable. Educating children that binge drinking isn't cool (both in school and at home) and raising awareness of the damage that binge drinking does to you is what the campaign should be targetted on.

And, of course, you come down harder on off-licenses and pubs that sell alcohol to underage people, and adults that buy alcohol for under age people.

 

[magoo]

it's all the rage in Croydon!

 

[Billy the Fish]

First of all, I don't believe that statistic and would like to know where they got it, I remember at school we used to have to fill out surveys every now and then asking questions about drinking and drug use, I always used to lie on mine and suspect alot of other children do as well.
As for children drinking, the first time I got pissed up was before a school disco when I was 13, I made a mix out of my parents spirits and downed it. It was cool and it was fun. No one encourged me to do it other than my friends who were doing the same thing. The only time I was ever given alcohol by someones parent was on my mates 14th birthday when his mum lets us have a couple of bottles of woodpecker each, while she was there. Surely that is a much better alternative to doing it on the sly and roaming the streets.

 

[Shegull]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6596515.stm

Is it just me that finds this a bit ridiculous?

My parents introduced me to alcohol when I was a kid and brought me up with it being one of those things to enjoy in a family/friends situation.

Certainly I've been out on more drinking sessions than I care to remember but at 31 years old I can safely say I know how much I can and cannot drink and don't have a drinking problem.

Sure, there's a problem with young people binge drinking but I don't think this is the answer.

I done something similar with my own three children from the time they were about 14. I allowed them to have a can of beer or scrumpy jack in the house only with the result that they never felt the need to go drinking down some laneway with their mates. They were always supervised when drinking and now apart from the very odd "crazy night out" they are well able to look after themselves on that score. One doesn't even touch the stuff anymore.

 

[Jam The Man]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6596515.stm

Is it just me that finds this a bit ridiculous?

My parents introduced me to alcohol when I was a kid and brought me up with it being one of those things to enjoy in a family/friends situation.

Certainly I've been out on more drinking sessions than I care to remember but at 31 years old I can safely say I know how much I can and cannot drink and don't have a drinking problem.

Sure, there's a problem with young people binge drinking but I don't think this is the answer.

Absolutely concurred.. if parents aducated their children about alcohol there would be much less of a problem. I'm 31 too and was fed Guiness from the age of 4 in the George in Portslade Old Village. My Mum & Dad would both offer me a drop of booze as I grew up and to this day i've NEVER been out of order through booze, never thrown up and have never found it to be a problem full stop.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

I can't recall ever being offered alcohol as a small child but from about 12 onwards was allowed one very small glass of wine with Christmas dinner or other festive family meals. It didn't stop me "experimenting" with drink once I was old enough to get away with being in a pub or at parties but I never felt that alcohol was something to be drunk sneakily because it was forbidden.

I did much the same with my own children and certainly, by the time they were 14 or 15 I was far happier to buy them weedy French beers to take to parties since the alternative tended to be a lunatic (and potentially lethal) raid on somebody's parents' drink cupboard. Likewise, I preferred them to have a bottle of beer at home rather than sneak around drinking heaven knows what in the more secluded corners of Lewes!