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Undearage Drinking

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6596515.stm

Basically Alcohol Concern is calling for it to be made illegal for parents to give children under the age of 15 any form of alcohol whatsovever.

To be honest I think its pants and if i ever have children I will be openly defying it as I think it creats even more unhealthy attitudes towards drinking.

Discuss

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wyetry wrote: »
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6596515.stm


    To be honest I think its pants and if i ever have children I will be openly defying it as I think it creats even more unhealthy attitudes towards drinking.

    Discuss

    Agreed. :yes:

    We only have to look at other European countries like France, Germany, Italy e.t.c where children are allowed small quantities of alcohol with their meals from a very early age and are then allowed to buy alcohol at 16 (I think that's right?). All of those countries have much lower problems with Alcohol than the UK. They have less alcohol related deaths, less alcoholism and less fights and drink driving e.t.c.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was bought up always seeing wine at the table, and if we were at parties/weddings, I was always offered a sip of champagne etc. While I drank a fair bit during my first year at uni, it was never to the extent where I'd be falling over the place, or couldn't remember what happened the night before. If this was enforced, I'd defy it with my own children as I don't want them growing up thinking it's something taboo and naughty - it's responsible so long as the adult drinking is.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's what I think - I mean you only have to look at america where you cannot touch a drop until your 21 and they certainly dont' seem to have a very healthy attitute towards the stuff.

    Though i was quite shocked to see just how much alcohol the average 11-13 year old boy drinks. (12 units a week apparently)

    When I was that age - it was still maybe a watered down glass on a sunday or a sneeky bucksfizz on a special occasion - type thing - plus the very occasional sneeky martini/sherry/archers - stolen from someones paretnts drinks cabinet at a sleep over and that was only once a term!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nooo! I will be breaking that law if it comes in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I never believe the surveys when it comes to kids drink or drug use, if you ask any 14 year old boy and they had 2 grams of cocaine, 12 bottles of beer and three women the previous night - they lie.

    As for this ban, it really wouldnt have any effect, a ban on all alcohol advertising would be a much better way forward.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm with everyone else, it's a rubbish plan.

    Letting kids have a some at home helps to encourage a healthy attitude, it also makes kids less likely to hide it from their parents when they do drink.

    No one should be getting kids intoxicated at home, but I'm fairly sure that's not allowed already so there's no need for this silly rule. Banning advertising aimed at young people etc is fine.

    I've never heard of the organisation before today, but maybe they are trying to raise their profile.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lol I think that the current alcohol advertising campaigns which go on about drinking responsibly only serve to make drinking a responsible ammount look so boring you can only have a good time by drinking double the reccomended intake or by necking 2 grammes of coke.

    Or maybe its just me..........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's just another single-issue pressure group strapping on its moral blinkers and trying to push through an unenforceable law. I was listening to a representative for these jokers on Radio 4 this morning. You could tell she was doing what she was doing out of good intentions, but only because she'd got bored of twitching curtains.

    If it was legal for these people to climb in through your window and back-seat parent, they would. As is isn't, they're trying to get the government to do it for them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wyetry wrote: »
    Lol I think that the current alcohol advertising campaigns which go on about drinking responsibly only serve to make drinking a responsible ammount look so boring you can only have a good time by drinking double the reccomended intake or by necking 2 grammes of coke.

    Or maybe its just me..........

    Yeah, the so-called responsible amount wouldn't even get someone drunk, and to many kids out there, what's the point in drinking if you're not going to get drunk...so they think fuck this, let's go and get proper mashed up and drink three times as much as what we're supposed to.

    They should at least advertise an amount that gets kids slightly drunk because c'mon that's the whole point in drinking at parties. At least the kids know that they'll get drunk on the responsible amount and when they reach that stage, they won't see any point to carry on and get paraletic. Because let's face it, no one enjoys blacking out and choking on their own vomit.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pill 'ed wrote: »
    Agreed. :yes:

    We only have to look at other European countries like France, Germany, Italy e.t.c where children are allowed small quantities of alcohol with their meals from a very early age and are then allowed to buy alcohol at 16 (I think that's right?). All of those countries have much lower problems with Alcohol than the UK. They have less alcohol related deaths, less alcoholism and less fights and drink driving e.t.c.
    Yep, I can vouch for that regarding Spain (apart from the drink driving).

    Children are allowed in bars as well (though they won't be served drinks) and that hasn't done any harm either.

    Some people need to understand that it is part of human nature to desire something more if it is denied to them or made taboo.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Drink driving in the UK is pretty low (I can't find the figures but its one of the lowest in Europe). Whilst are alcohol related violence is high - so is non-alcohol related violence.

    Stopping kids drinking when there young won't make the slighest bit of difference to alchol related crime. But neither will allowing them to drink.

    Violence is much more deep in the British pysche than just a few beers and a pub fight.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    Yep, I can vouch for that regarding Spain (apart from the drink driving).

    Children are allowed in bars as well (though they won't be served drinks) and that hasn't done any harm either.

    Some people need to understand that it is part of human nature to desire something more if it is denied to them or made taboo.

    When you do get alcohol related trouble in Spanish and Greek resorts...guess who's usually to blame? Good old British tourists.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Violence is much more deep in the British pysche than just a few beers and a pub fight.
    It's all because smacking children is legal. :p Never did me any harm, my arse.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pill 'ed wrote: »
    We only have to look at other European countries like France, Germany, Italy e.t.c where children are allowed small quantities of alcohol with their meals from a very early age and are then allowed to buy alcohol at 16 (I think that's right?). All of those countries have much lower problems with Alcohol than the UK. They have less alcohol related deaths, less alcoholism and less fights and drink driving e.t.c.

    Thats exactly it. There more you make something taboo (ie drinking underage) then the more rebellious kids think they are to drink.

    We need to look to the French and Spanish for inspiration. In these countries children grow up having alcohol with their meal etc, and therefore in their teenage years don't see it as rebellious. Here in the UK we clamp down hard on our kids drinking at an early age- yet we have one of the worst problems for teenage drinkers. Go figure...

    :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But if a child can't have alcohol, and knows that, won't that make them want it more?

    TBH, I think if parents teach their children about alcohol and drink sensibly in front of them, then they probably won't drink too much.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, I would have been totally very happy not drinking. But there was noooothing else to do at the weekends. And everyone else did it, so i did too. Yes. I am ashamed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh, and btw, Britain has a looong history of drinking more than the rest of Europe. When bottled ale or what not was introduced here, they halved the strength, because they knew we drank twice as much as those on the continent.

    And the alcoholism problem is actually much improved. In the 18th century, ONE THIRD OF LONDON's POPULATION was at any one time PARALYTICALLY DRUNK. Yep, so its definitely not so bad now. Mothers used to feed babies gin to make them fall asleep. Not sure thats so common now. Gin was so cheap, and safer than water, so people drank it instead. And we wonder why westeners have a high tolerance. Even rich folks would have an alcoholic beverage breakfast, lunch and dinner. Im surprised anyone ever got anything done.

    Anyway, my point is, to stop underage drinkers, I think we would need to change everyones attitudes. When kids see people falling out of nightclubs every weekend, they think its the done thing. No wonder we have problems.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Underage drinking is awsome, and if you drink underage you will be cool.


    I'm off to go get-awsome!:cool:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In the home I don't see what the fuss is about, like others I was introduced to alcohol in moderation at an early age.
    The problems we have though with kids drinking on the street are enormous. Friday night and 90% of our jobs will be alcohol-youth related, and Saturday morning, if it's been a particularly bad night the resulting criminal damage e.t.c. is all too visible.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fantastic idea.

    Prohibition always works.

    :no:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think having a small amount is healthy, helps us to relax, and I think that if children are 'exposed' to drink from an early age then they may not feel the need to sneak around once they get to their teen years. At least if they do have a drink, they have the guidance of parents there.
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