Under 15? Not a Drop
Posted: Fri 30 January, 2009 Filed under: Cynicism, Health, Thoughts 1 Comment »I find it hard to understand the new government health guidelines that say under-15s shouldn’t be allowed to drink any alcohol that were released yesterday. Even if you gloss over the fact that by that age most teenagers have had at least one alcoholic drink anyway, the advice seems somewhat flawed.
Personally, I think it’s a better policy to be introduced to alcohol as part of the process of growing up. I don’t mean to the point of abuse, or a drink with every meal, but I do believe that introducing it early, not making a big deal of it, and letting it just be part of life is a better way of dealing with it.
To me, it seems that a lot of the ritual around teenage drinking etc. is because alcohol is seen as “forbidden” and “naughty” – drinking it before you’re legally supposed to is just one of those rebellion things that people go through as they grow up. But if it’s something that’s got no shock value, something that’s part of normal life, it loses the power (unless one goes to extremes, of course) to be seen as a tool of rebellion.
I could be wrong on this of course – it’s not like I’m a parent myself – but I know that growing up (all those years ago) I was allowed to try beer, wine, lager, and even vodka and whisky. I learned the taste and smell of them, as well as what I liked and didn’t like. Once I was able to go to a pub, I knew what I could order, and whether I’d like it or not.
It meant I didn’t make the really stupid mistakes when I was old enough – such as trying to drink that first illicit bottle of vodka in one go before anyone found me and made me stop – although I was still able to make plenty of other non-drink-related stupid mistakes instead…
The CMO spokesman they had on the Today programme commented on an interview with some teenagers, who said their parents let them have the odd drink at home, and who had been describing how drunk some of their friends got, by linking the two facts. But he didn’t take on board that the ones being interviewed weren’t the ones getting drunk. I agree with you. When I was growing up there was wine on the table at every meal and, in my teens, I could have a glass if I wanted. Usually, I didn’t but it was no big deal either way. It was the same with my children, and they were fine too. Mind you, I suppose I’m considered a serial binge drinker now as I have a couple of glasses of wine most nights.