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Prosecute parents who let children drink
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Posted by: forwardone
Parents who give alcohol to children under the age of 15 - even with a meal at home - should face prosecution, a charity says today.
Youth binge drinking is on the rise
Alcohol Concern makes the call as it publishes research revealing that girls aged 11 to 13 are drinking 83 per cent more alcohol than six years ago.
A charity spokesman said: "It is legal to provide children as young as five with alcohol in a private home. Raising the age limit to 15 would send a stronger message to parents of the risks associated with letting very young people consume alcohol." It is illegal to buy a drink in a pub under 18, but a 16- or 17-year-old can drink wine or beer if having a meal with parents.
Although the number of children who drink alcohol has declined slightly, the amount they have consumed has soared, according to the report, which was collated by an independent health body funded by the Government. In 2000, girls aged 11-15 who had drunk alcohol the previous week admitted consuming just under five units. By 2006 this had risen to just over eight units - equivalent to eight small glasses of wine, four pints of lager, nine pub measures of spirits or four pints of cider. Boys of the same age were drinking six units a week - this is now 12 units.
The Glass Half Empty report says the Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, published three years ago, was failing children.
Alcohol Concern says there are strong links between drunkeness and teenage pregnancy - England has the worst record for teenage pregnancies in Europe. Srabani Sen, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "Binge drinking by children can have serious consequences for brain function, significantly raises the risk of alcohol dependency in later life and diminishes life chances. We are not doing enough to protect our children."
Reuters
Posted by: forwardone
What`s your view on this? Should parents allow their children to drink?
Posted by: clifton
I don't think 11 to 13 years old should drink at all. Here selling alcohol to children under 18 years is illegal and I guess there is a reason for that
Posted by: forwardone
It`s illegal here too for under 18s. I don`t think any normal person would want that age to be reduced.
The question is though what about those who are under that age being given, say, a glass of wine with their meals at home? This seems to be what this charity is saying, that they want parents who do that to be prosecuted.
In places like France, Italy, Spain etc children are allowed small alcoholic drinks with meals, yet those kids don`t grow up into alcoholics. In fact many of those parents would say that they are training their children to use alcohol in a responsible manner whilst they are young.
Posted by: golddust
In the privacy of your own home, allowing children to have a taste in most cases is enough to discourage 'most' kids from drinking. I allow my teens to occasionally have wine (small amounts), and rarely a taste of hard spirits. I do not want them to feel that drinking is voodoo, but should be handled responsibly, in the same manner it should be consumed. Teen drinking and driving is a big problem here, as one of the proven effects of alcohol is thinking/judgment is impaired, and getting behind the wheel doesn't seem like any big deal to a teen who's had a few.
But I have strong feelings against the higher drinking age of 21 here, when kids are sent to war and sometimes die younger than 21, also the legal age to vote. If we can send them off to war, then they should be able to vote, and if they could vote they might change some of the 'laws about going to war', and the drinking laws applicable to their age group.
Ultimately as it is now, parents must take responsibility for underage drinking as a function of maturity and in consideration of the liabilities. I don't have a problem with that.