Totally agree with the same idea but for underage smoking, however, I that alcohol is far too prevalent to try to restrict it in such a manner.
I think this is a good idea but implemented badly. We need to punish parents for their children's behaviour as too many parents couldn't give a crap and the rest of society has to deal with the delinquent brats.
Yet another baby step closer towards the ultimate police state. This is the way it works folks, small steps; most often motivated with; you know children of the provider...this is for your own good Of course, this approach guarantees that the parents will be fined at all times. “Should have known” makes sure of that. That makes no sense. After all, the parents are not telephoning the police, inviting them over in order to “crash” the party so to speak. Besides, guests usually bring gifts Humour aside? It all comes down to young kids raising younger kids, whilst the slightly older kid desperately trying to act as the adult one by setting the "house rules".
That seems a bit OTT. To my best knowledge, every European country allows children over 5 to drink on private premises; the offences in UK law would be selling them alcohol, if that applied, or lack of parental care, if they were drinking excessive amounts. This gives a quick guide to the relevant sections of the Act. So the parents could get blamed, but it wouldn't be a fine - at worst the child would be taken into care. And from the Gov.
Man, I wish I lived someplace that rational. Here the current fad is zero tlerance laws for underage drinking, which only makes it all the more attractive. No one elver learned to do somthing responsibly be being told they can't do it.
Sometimes underage drinking is pretty bad though.. even at nearly 16 myself I'm against it.. all I ever here is stories of "Dude, I was so ****ing drunk last night, puked all over the place..." 'Cause that's a great time
Underage drinking isn't that bad depending on the parents. As an example, I'm 17 and I've been drinking since I was 14 BUT I've started with very small amount and now I can take 6-7 beers and still look perfectly sober. I've only been sick once and that's it. I'm also rarely drunk. It all depends on how you were educated on alcohol. Some will take their first glass at their legal drinking age (here 19) and will pass out on their 19 drink in 19 minutes (a tradition here on your 19th birthday). Some who never touched alcohol before being legally allowed become alcoholics because they never learned to control themselves. That new law is just another way to control the population. Soon the government will be allowed to come and check everyday what you have in your kitchen just to make sure you don't have any peanut butter... I mean peanut butter could kill the kid down the street, he's allergic! Good job USA Pull a couple more like this and we'll all be criminals
Yeah, but I don't think that really has anything to do with age. Some people, at any age, just like to get falling down drunk. I don't understand it, but it seems to be a pretty common form of recreation. That said, I think many of the problems we have with youth and alcohol stem from the way we, as a society, approach it in the US. Most people start drinking before they are 21, and since they can't legally drink in public places, they "learn" about it not from (alledegely) responsible aduls, but rather from other "kids". Even if a young person waits to drink until they are 21, most are out of their parents home before then and so they "learn" drinking somewhere else. The whole US societal policy on alcohol is based not on reality, but on a utopian vision of how people "should" be. It is easier for leaders to put more people in jail in the name of"doing somthing" than to accept reality.
I am against teens drinking, because MOST (read: most) drink just to get drunk. Infact that is the only reason to drink. What else do you get out of it. If more teens (even adults) could control themselves, I wouldn't have an issue with it. I won't drink, smoke, do drugs because if I can't have fun sober, I should be doing something else. The night may be fun, but the hangover and herpes isn't (last part is a joke) Blaming the parents is crap. I agree with the policy if done in private we look the other way.
Ok, so if that's the case, so what? Just because you don't enjoy somthing no one else should be allowed to do it? Legally it's no different if someone who is under 21 has one drink or drinks until they pass out, both are illegal. And again' is it any different if a teen drinks to get drunk versus someone who is over 21 drinks to get drunk? One is legal, the other is not. Aside from that, I don't see any difference.
Here the legal age is 18. It's illegal to buy alcohol for a minor, but it is legal to drink alcohol with parental supervision. Had my very first drink when I was 14 and thought it was the most disgusting thing. Then at 15 I tried it again.. my parents used to buy it for me. Figured if they didn't then I'd just find someone else who would. It was only ever stoli(followed by something russian that I can't spell) only ever had 2 at most. So by being introduced to alcohol slowly and in a safe environment by the time I got to 18 it wasn't all that appealing.
I was introduced the same way as you MystChic, only with a different outcome. Alcohol is really appealing to me. Gets me so relaxed that besides meditation or pot, aint nothing gonna get me that chilled and calm. Helps me sleep like a baby too! =) Can't wait for my drink tonight infact =) I don't think it's as much to do with how teens are taught about alcohol, but how alcohol affects their brain. I don't know about most people, but i've tended to noticed 2 kinds of people. People that drink to relax.. and scallies/chavs/neds (whatever you call em.) These people don't seem to realise their own limits, and parents cannot teach them this, they have to find out for themselves. For a lot of people, they've gone way past their limit before they know it themselves. And like I said there a 2 main outcomes, relaxing and falling asleep, or becoming a violent little **** that thinks he's the biz! Blaming the parents won't do anything because; a: Parents cannot keep their kids away from alcohol 100% of the time. There are likely to be quite a few scenarios where alcohol is available without parental knowledge. b: Teens will explore. No matter how many times people are told "Don't touch alcohol, it's very very naughty" it's only going to cause even more curiosity! Especially when a best mate offers the bottle of vodka. Heck, I wouldn't have said no! Raising awareness won't do anything either! The more we make alcohol seem like an evil potion that only sadists and artists drink, the more people WANT to drink it. The only solution would be to make alcohol production completely illegal (oh please God, no!) Or to have a severe enough punishment made available to people at an early age. These dangerous alcoholic teens simply need to be slammed up for a week, and given both a hefty fine and a healthy bill of community service to follow. Should make them think more than twice about causing drunken trouble again =)
Well my parents let me drink pretty much from when i wanted to try it, as in "dad can i try some of your beer?" I must of been about 8 and i thought it was disgusting, wine was worse. By 10 i thought it was bareable but not exactly what i'd choose. I got a taste for wine and beer (more wine) through my early teens. I first got drunk (at about 14) in the company of my parents and their friends, it was a nice social evening i enjoyed it a lot, but in the morning i had a hangover and i remember being mortified that i'd not controlled my drinking properly. I knew this was bad and from then on made sure i kept it in control at all times, good work from my parents if you ask me!
I guess I worded what I felt differently then I wanted. It was pretty late at night for me. You are right about the differences. I can't see the point for anyone to drink.
Good point... it's just that most people who are 3+ years underage are so bleeding irresponsible that once 'taught' they think "Okay, start out slow, know your limit, always have a ride home" which is great and how it should be but after that thought most teens then think "Well, now I've got access to alcohol, I'M GONNA GET WASTED!!!!!11!!ELEVEN!!!" which pisses me off and gives me a bad rep just for being this age...
People are acting like this is a modern problem. People have been drinking alcohol for thousands of years. They've even found beer jugs dating back to 10 000BC and (the finished product of) wine has appeared in eygptian pictographs. There's even been (somewhat controversial) suggestions that beer may have even preceded bread as a staple. The human brain is primed for addiction. Whether it be drugs, gambling or food, sport,*gasps* computers. The list is endless with what people become addicted too.. cosmetic surgery, dieting, sex.. anything.. everything. Alcohol just happens to be flavour of the month. In Australia, there's a very high rate of alcoholism with the Australian aboriginals because they were one of only a handful of native societies not to have alcohol like the egyptians, babylonians even the chinese who believed that alcohol in moderation was a gift from heaven. There are even parts of Australia where it is illegal to even take alcohol into. I have to agree with overdosedelusuion (hope you had a good sleep btw hun ) - raising awareness wont fix the problem. Half the fun is breaking the rules, the thrill, is getting away with it. So, either make it legal, or (again, as overdosedelusion said..) make the penalties tougher, earlier. Did America not learn ANYTHING from the prohibition era? That simply saying "NO", even to adults, wont stop them?
