bluephinGive Your Kid a Scotch
October 24th 2006 20:43
'Give your kid a scotch and help prevent under age drinking' is the message being touted by some parents.
The legal age for consumption of alcohol in Australia is 18.
Some parents believe it acceptable to allow their children to drink from as young as 10.
Driving home from work in my little disposable Hyundai, the radio tuned in to NXFM, I listened as the afternoon crew, Carly and Grover, discussed their thoughts on underage drinking.
I’m amazed I didn’t run a red light in my hurry to get home to expel this knowledge onto all Orblites.
As everyone is aware, binge drinking amongst under age teens is becoming quite an epidemic in some areas of New South Wales, if not Australia. In an effort to curb the chances of their teen becoming an irresponsible drinker some parents are introducing their children to alcohol at a much younger age.
There are a couple of theories behind the concept. Firstly, parents believe that allowing a child to drink at home with family will take the mystery of alcohol away. This will, apparently, make the prospect of going to the local park with a few mates and a bottle of beam less appealing.
Secondly, it will teach them that they can enjoy alcohol without needing to go to the excess. By giving their child a glass of wine, or small glass of scotch these parents feel they are preparing them and educating them on issues relating to alcohol.
I’m not going to comment on whether I believe this is wrong or right. There would appear to be some measure of sense in what these parents are doing. On the other hand I still feel that a young teen is going to drink with their mates, if their mates are all drinking! Peer pressure I believe they call it.
As a child, alcohol was a strict no-no in my very middle class household. Mum and Dad did not allow us to partake in any alcoholic drink until we were of the legal age. I think perhaps my brother snuck a few in here and there but I was a goody two shoes and paid attention to my mum and dad. At 18 I promptly went out, thought yay I’m legal, got smashed and spent the next few days feeling very very sorry for myself.
Here are a few statistics that I’ve taken from the Curtin University Bulletin:
• Over 80% of all the alcohol consumed by 14-17 year olds is drunk at risky/high levels for acute harm
• Over 10 years (during 1993-2002) an estimated 501 children in the 14-17 year old age bracket DIED from an attributable cause of under age drinking
• In 1999 and 2000 over 3000 teenagers were hospitalized for alcohol induced illness and injury
I think everyone would agree that under age drinking is a concern the majority of parents face. But is giving your child alcohol from a young age going to help prevent them from binge drinking at 17? Let us know your thoughts.
The image used here was taken from Wikipedia and used under the GNU Free Documentation License.
The legal age for consumption of alcohol in Australia is 18.
Some parents believe it acceptable to allow their children to drink from as young as 10.
Driving home from work in my little disposable Hyundai, the radio tuned in to NXFM, I listened as the afternoon crew, Carly and Grover, discussed their thoughts on underage drinking.
I’m amazed I didn’t run a red light in my hurry to get home to expel this knowledge onto all Orblites.
A glass or two a day will keep your teen at bay!
As everyone is aware, binge drinking amongst under age teens is becoming quite an epidemic in some areas of New South Wales, if not Australia. In an effort to curb the chances of their teen becoming an irresponsible drinker some parents are introducing their children to alcohol at a much younger age.
There are a couple of theories behind the concept. Firstly, parents believe that allowing a child to drink at home with family will take the mystery of alcohol away. This will, apparently, make the prospect of going to the local park with a few mates and a bottle of beam less appealing.
Secondly, it will teach them that they can enjoy alcohol without needing to go to the excess. By giving their child a glass of wine, or small glass of scotch these parents feel they are preparing them and educating them on issues relating to alcohol.
I’m not going to comment on whether I believe this is wrong or right. There would appear to be some measure of sense in what these parents are doing. On the other hand I still feel that a young teen is going to drink with their mates, if their mates are all drinking! Peer pressure I believe they call it.
As a child, alcohol was a strict no-no in my very middle class household. Mum and Dad did not allow us to partake in any alcoholic drink until we were of the legal age. I think perhaps my brother snuck a few in here and there but I was a goody two shoes and paid attention to my mum and dad. At 18 I promptly went out, thought yay I’m legal, got smashed and spent the next few days feeling very very sorry for myself.
Here are a few statistics that I’ve taken from the Curtin University Bulletin:
• Over 80% of all the alcohol consumed by 14-17 year olds is drunk at risky/high levels for acute harm
• Over 10 years (during 1993-2002) an estimated 501 children in the 14-17 year old age bracket DIED from an attributable cause of under age drinking
• In 1999 and 2000 over 3000 teenagers were hospitalized for alcohol induced illness and injury
I think everyone would agree that under age drinking is a concern the majority of parents face. But is giving your child alcohol from a young age going to help prevent them from binge drinking at 17? Let us know your thoughts.
The image used here was taken from Wikipedia and used under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
They interviewed a woman who had held a 16th birthday party for her daughter. Some of the kids brought alcohol with them with their parents consent, and upon telling those parents that alcohol wasn't allowed, a lot of those kids took their alcohol and went home.
Others rang their friends and organised a way to pass it over the fence, and she had heaps of party crashers with alcohol trying to get in.
I couldn't believe so many of these kids were going with alcohol and parents consent at such a young age!
Now I wasn't allowed to have alcohol at home when I was a kid, but my grandparents on about 4 separate occassions had given my cousins and I a few small sips of wine and beer around the age of 14 -15.
We all thought it tasted disgusting and then had no interest in it.
It wasn't until I was 17 when I developed a curiousity about it, but as I said, I wasn't allowed any at home and my parents didn't give us taste samples, so I went out looking for it other places, generally nightclubs.
At that age it does hit you a lot harder - when I look back now and think that 3 barcardi and coke could affect me the way that it did, whereas now it wouldn't make a dent in my general wellbeing. Obviously my body and brain were way too underdeveloped to be able to handle things like that.
But I often think that at that age if I had been educated about it properly, and been allowed a very occasional taste ( I am talking 17 here too by the way, not 10 - 16) it might have made a difference. No-one ever mentioned that alcohol is actually toxic etc - it just wasn't talked about.
By the way, on my 18th birthday I didn't have a drop.
My kids aren't old enough to worry about this too much yet, but i have talked to both my kids already about the dangers of alcohol on a level that they can understand and they seem to have taken it onboard. When they are around 17, and if they wish to, I may let them have a taste now and agin, but I certainly won't be advocating them to be binge drinking.
Oh, and by the way, if you think the 10 year olds area problem, I have come across many shocking incidences in the past of parents giving their 1 year olds and up alcohol!
Comment by Cinico
Small Business Scope
No I missed that Sunrise episode. I know there was a party near where I lived about a year ago that was a normal 16th birthday party. It ended up with over 450 teenagers there, plastered and hurling abuse at neighbours and attending police officers.
Glad I locked my car up that night!
I think that education, or lack there of, is a major factor in alcohol abuse. Kids seeing their parents having a few drinks with friends and getting 'happy' would not make them realise or understand the side affects.
I've witnessed a number of times at friend's bbq's etc, where mum or dad has put a beer bottle or wine to their babies mouth and allowed them a sip, thinking it funny.
Personally, I didn't find it at all amusing.
Thanks for dropping by.
Comment by Wendi
In a restaurant once, I ordered a Southern Comfort and Coke. My kids were extremely curious about this strange concoction, so I gave them each a tiny taste by holding my finger above the top of the straw, then letting them drink from the "dropper". Their responses were identical, "Eeewww! Gross! How can you drink that stuff?" They both vowed never to drink alcohol as adults! Whether or not they'll hold to that remains to be seen, but using it as a deterrant that way makes much more sense to me than simply supervising cocktail consumption by minors!
W
P.S. - No worries, I didn't drive home from the restaurant; I was accompanied by another adult who didn't drink.
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
But as soon as my mother didn't join the bandwagon so to speak and let us even try anything, that's when our interest arose again.
Cinico, it makes you wonder just how often these parties happen doesn't it. As this woman said, with text messages etc, their simple little 16th party becames known as 'the party' for the night. She actually said that she was surprised at how many parents had no idea that they were dropping their kids off at a party they weren't even invited too.
Oh, I'm having deja-vu at the picture of scotch there too by the way. Don't you just love Wikipedia. ; )
Comment by parentingwisdom
Parenting Wisdom
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
My 7 year old can already tell you about what alcohol does to your brain and body and she hasn't even gotten close enough to smell alcohol let alone taste it.
It can be quite funny for us sometimes though - if we have an occasion in which wine is involved , she takes careful note of who's drinking what and how much, and is then very quick to point these thing out to us, along with a number of health warnings.
Put her on a TV campaign against drinking and I reckon some people would sit up and take notice. ; )
Comment by Anonymous
Although, I've tried smoking at an earlier stage in life and I thought it was like "nothing but breathing in air". I never thought I'd be addicted as I am now. Also, getting drunk was nothing but feeling "dizzy" and "weird" after my first time. What I'm trying to say is, let your kids know that drinking isn't that much fun after all. Or else once they get a higher tolerance on alcohol they'd start to do much worser things..
Anonymous Teenager
Comment by ThomasM
Fuel Saving Advice
Heidi's Blog
First and foremost to dispel all the rumors...lol...I'm NOT a parent. Wanted to be only too late in life....Wife's few years older...but blah blah blah...
Spent 13 years counseling youth as a Probation Officer in the States. I don't have the answers to your question but will offer some insight from my vantage point.
I think drinking, much like sex, is one of those topics we need not treat as off limits or "don't talk about it." I think those folks who are comfortable with discussing sex or drinking with their kids, are open and hones about it, will always have better results.
Do I think you feed scotch to 10 year olds? Probably not. But I'm not convinced that alone would create an alcoholic...Kids don't drink or have sex or get a tattoo where they shouldn't have it (is there a place they should have one?) because they are introduced to it too early or whatever....They do those things mostly out of curiosity and rebellion.
Growing up in rural America, I had some pretty strict parents. I learned about "these things" on my own. And not always for the best. I would suggest that parents who are willing to drive their kids to a local strip club or beer joint may have a step up on those who slap em every time they think about the subjects.
Kids are gonna experiment. If ya take the experiment part out...than you're a step ahead....my 2 pennies...
Blogtommy
Comment by Oliva
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Comment by Oliva
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Comment by Wendi
(the perfect response!)
But with that choice I made came a responsibility to educate. My kids are well aware of the effects of alcohol in its various forms... from DUI Accidents and alcohol addiction to alcohol poisoning and everything in between. They've also seen people make complete asses of themselves when drunk and have no desire to behave in such a way.
I think more than letting kids drink at home to remove the thrill of it all, the proper way to discourage kids from drinking is through education.
Legal drinking age in most parts of the US is 21.
Just my opinions,
W
Comment by Oliva
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