One bad idea to tackle teen drinking: give them beer

Tom says:

07:26am | 14/10/09

Early introduction of alcohol to young people can only serve a positive purpose. With proper supervision and an early understanding of tolerance to alcohol, as well as the shattering of the stupid taboo that alcohol consumption will somehow lead to an irreversible cycle of drug abuse and crime (as well as long term health complications), young people will be better equipped to make informed choices about whether they wish to participate in this legal activity.

It’s the blinkered puritanical approach that you are perpetuating that will do the most harm to young people in the future. Let your kids have a drink, because they’ll have one anyway, whether you’re there or not.

Pete says:

08:33am | 14/10/09

Hi Lucy,

I was one of those people whose parents would buy a sixpack to drink at home with them when I was 16. This steady introduction to alcohol meant that I learned that you didn’t have to get rollicking drunk everytime you had a beer.

A mate of mine, who is 23, really didn’t have his first drink until he was 18… and has been trying to catch up ever since. He hasn’t developed the concept of sitting down and having one or two beers with dinner; it’s either nothing or a complete gutful.

I don’t necessarily think it’s the worst idea in the world.

Jolanda says:

08:55am | 14/10/09

I agree that we need to talk about the problems associated with drinking with our children rather than handing them a beer.  There is a lot of mental illness, anger and aggression within our youth and I believe that a lot of that is happening as a result of our young people fighting with their conscious as they often do things when they are drunk that they regret and find it very hard to get it out of their mind and in order to do so they drink again, in excess - it is a vicious cycle.

I certainly discouraged my children from drinking alcohol until they were 18 as I explained that their brains and bodies were developing and they needed to look after and be kind to their developing bodies as they have to last them a long time.  Plenty of time to drink when they get older and if they live until 85+ (which is more likely if they look after their bodies)  and they start at 18 they can drink for 67 years plus. 

Education - Keeping them Honest
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Liz says:

09:46am | 14/10/09

So how many adults think they haven’t had a good time unless they’ve got drunk? It happens, has always happened and there seem to be no viable solutions for this generation or any other.It’s about role models isn’t it?

Rosscoe says:

11:42am | 14/10/09

When are you going to admit that alcohol is bad for people in any quantity.  It does NO good.  Getting drunk is NOT a good thing to do, because you lose your self control, but are still responsible for the events.  Our society allows too much freedom to drink and do whatever without real penalties when things go wrong, and we are forever wasting resources patching up the consequences of people drinking-particularly because the nation drinks to excess frequently.  Why don’t we have fruit juice bars, if we want liquid refreshments and a chatting place?

Mary says:

12:06pm | 14/10/09

“independent” meaning heavily funded by the alcohol industry, who would prefer teenagers continue on binge drinking rampages (much better for sales, you know).

Whitebait says:

01:28pm | 14/10/09

The only ironic thing about the song ‘Ironic’ is that there isn’t any irony in it at all; the woman wouldn’t know irony if it wrote a song about her and referenced her wrong.

People love to pounce on the offensive at schemes like this because they tackle the problem in a way that, skewed incorrectly, seem to encourage the problem. But you have to look at the problem logically; whatever the current strategy is, it’s leading to the problems that the UK (and to an extend Australia) are currently facing. Trying out new approaches and tackling the problem from the other side is probably not going to make things worse. True, it may not have a huge effect initially, but given time we could refine a method that help control the problem. It’s not a universal issue, as stated many parts of Europe have kids with much more tolerance and maturity towards alcohol. So there is obviously a solution somewhere, the only way to find it is with ideas and studies like these.

This lightweight notion of ‘talking with your kids’ as the right strategy is just a cop out because if it fails (as it has) it is never the method that is blamed, just the parents who don’t implement it properly. The entire drugs war has this twisted idea that problems can be eliminated if we try hard enough to talk our kids out of it. If nothings changes we just blame the kids, ‘We did our best, sent the right message’ etc. But the logic is flawed because the type of information pumped into kids about alcohol and drugs is so dramatic and one sided, they can’t cipher the bullshit from the real problems. The they have 6 beers, have a great night and realise that everything the adults were saying were lies. Cue the slippery slope to other things.

I am also not aware of the mathematics behind four kids with four six packs pooling their resources and coming away with more than, say, four six packs. Between four kids. Not really a big problem here. Given you 16 year old son a beer with dinner on a Friday night, or a few to take with him when he walks out the door on a Saturday in the big scheme of things is never going to do more harm then what it prevents. The main lesson here is that many young kids have to find out the hard way what alcohol does to them individually; most 21 year olds would know before they start drinking how they will feel after a 6 or 7 beers, and how they will feel tomorrow if they push into double digits. 16, 17 year olds don’t and getting them to find out for themselves is a big problem; they will have a horrible amount of alcohol really quickly and either cause themselves harm or have heaps of fun get it in their heads that this is what is needed every week. Why not give them a bit of guidance instead of throwing them in the deep end.

Pete V says:

01:34pm | 14/10/09

one of the fundamental laws of nature is that kids will rebel. you tell them not to drink, and they’ll want to do it more. they’re naturally curious (and not cynical like ther est of us), they want to know what it’s about, and the fact that someone doesn’t let them doesn’t make sense to them. that’s what inflames the act of binge-drinking. they try, they like, their mental ability drops and they drink more. and if no one’s ever told them about the effects of drinking, merely restricted it from them, how are they to know?

I agree teenagers’ bodies are still developing - and that’s exactly why introducing them to alcohol before they hit 18 makes sense. they slowly get to understand the effect it has on them - in small doses and in safe surroundings, ie the family home, with repsonsible parents watching them. I’m sure a parent wanting to introduce their children to alcohol wouldn’t “hand them a bottle of vodka on the way out the door” - you’re taking it to an extreme. that’s not repsonsible parenting.

DG says:

01:49pm | 14/10/09

Hi Lucy,

An interesting piece, But I did notice one thing:

“Think back to the first time you got drunk. What was that about?”

You assume that every one has been drunk, that it is normal to have been drunk and is just part of the growing up process. Do you think that contributes to the problem?  I’ve never been drunk, and never really felt any need to try and get drunk. I’ve never seen the point.

I disagree with the suggestion that we need to show teenagers stats, or that we should be trying to scar them into sobriety. Why not a more general approach - “It’s OK to say NO”.

Where is that cultural push to encourage people to say no to that next drink or to refrain from encouraging others to drink to excess? Instead we try to alienate those that would have a drink. We draw no distinction between introducing your kids to alcohol with dinner as opposed to handing a bottle of vodka to a 14 year old. I dare say that the former is positive - It shows alcohol is just another beverage, it moves it from being a drug to wipe ones self out to being a beverage to be enjoyed with dinner. The bottle of Vodka on the other hand is completely inappropriate - it’s giving a tool without any guidance.

Instead why not sit down with a glass of port while watching the TV after dinner, or sharing a beer while watching the footy and having a chat? Rather than giving them a bottle and saying do as you will… The point being its build the association of drinking being secondary to some other activity rather than being an activity of its own. More importantly, it discourages the link between drinking alcohol and getting drunk.

I agree that juveniles will do whatever they think they can get away with - pushing boundaries is a normal part of the teenage years (I admit that my experience was not ‘normal’) - But parents need to do the right thing and set boundaries.

TDMJ says:

03:55pm | 14/10/09

I can’t say I really agree with you Lucy, because I’m the positive result of the type of approach being advocated by these researchers. That is to say, from a very young age my sister and I were allowed tiny nips of whatever the adults were drinking (usually wine – to a child, beer tasted bitter and horrible!), to join in the celebration of whatever the occasion was. 

That said, I’m also smart enough to realise my (relatively…) responsible and moderate approach to alcohol is probably the result of their parenting on a much wider scale, not just this one tactic.  And drinking in our home wasn’t a routine thing: birthdays, Christmas, other special occasions, etc. 

We were however – even well into our teens – given an enormous amount of self-responsibility.  No heavy restrictions or strict curfews for us, but we were taught to avoid drugs and dangerous situations and to always ensure our parents knew where we were.  Funnily enough, we did just that!

Now I’m older, I’ve had my share of drunken nights and even tried a few illicit drugs once or twice (I should emphasise, literally, once or twice).  But none of this is particularly relevant to the point I’d like to make, which is that I think the greatest obstacle to encouraging people to not get drunk is that, quite simply, it’s fun.  It can be a LOT of fun.  Add a modicum of commonsense and it doesn’t need to be particularly dangerous

(case in point: some types of drug are also a lot of fun to try but the high level of risk associated and the fact that they’re criminally illegal tends to be off-putting…)

I guess I just don’t know how you go about convincing people like me not to get occasionally – and yes, believe it or not, DELIBERATELY – drunk?  Every now and then, it’s a heck of a lot of fun to go out with a bunch of friends, drink too many champagnes, talk and laugh a lot, dance like an idiot, then go home to bed and feel like rubbish when you meet up again to reflect on the night over brunch the next day.

What I would never do?  Drink to the point of being very sick – I know my limits.  Drink to the point that I really wasn’t in control of my body or behaviour.  Drink and drive.  Leave or lose my friends.  Allow drinking to negatively affect my life and other commitments.

AK says:

04:31pm | 14/10/09

I agree with TDMG - Except from the opposite perspective.  Growing up I was never given alcohol to try or taste (not because of strict parents, just because I guess it never occurred to them to be an option) And as a result the first couple of times I tried alcohol I drank until I made myself sick.  Because I didn’t understand alcohol.

Giving children alcohol with their family shows that in can be enjoyed in a safe environment and in moderation.  It also, more importantly, teaches them their limits.

I think if I had been brought like that, I would never have made myself sick from drinking - nobody likes throwing up, it’s only the idiots that keep doing it.

LSSL says:

01:24am | 15/10/09

Lucy,

Yeah sorry but that’s not irony, it’s just counterintuitive. Some research- before you go and slam the attitudes towards alcohol of other nations- wouldn’t go astray, as you seem to have missed the point.

In France and Germany especially, most minors are introduced to alcohol by their parents in the safety of their own homes from a young age. This fosters a culture of mature appreciation as opposed to binge drinking. The consumption of alcohol is a privilege that is taught to be respected and enjoyed, and responsibility can be built up over time. No-one’s handing over an eight-pack of rum and coke as their fifteen-year-old rushes out the door, so avoid the hyperbolic misrepresentations.

‘But it’s not drinking underage that gets teens excited, it’s curiosity and the promise that comes with having a new experience. It’s about enjoyment and being with your friends in a grown-up kind of way.’

I’m sorry, but to be mimicking adult behaviour (‘being with your friends in a grown-up kind of way’) would indicate those doing so are indeed underage. That’s exactly what gets teens excited. By the way, in what way is underage drinking not a new experience? You’ve completely stabbed yourself in the foot.

Perhaps delve beneath the surface before making up your mind so passionately. Teenagers (and I would know because I am one) only push the boundaries because they’re there. You take the ‘boo’ out of ‘taboo’ and suddenly the novelty of rebelling doesn’t sparkle so bright.

This isn’t to say that parents should facilitate their children’s social drinking habits as soon as the child deems it fit. Rather, parents should choose the timing and put themselves in a position of authority.

You use the anecdote of your drunken sleepover party to express an opinion that is flawed by misinterpretation in the first place:

‘If my dad had handed me a nice bottle of vodka on my way out the door, it would have been a whole lot easier to sneak out of the house, but it wouldn’t have made me drink any less or behave any differently.’

Well isn’t this just the picture of fallacy? The ‘European’ approach in no way advocates that parents present their children with alcohol as they flee to unsupervised piss-ups. Of course, in your case, you wouldn’t have ‘[behaved] any differently’, but that’s completely irrelevant- you’re looking at the other extreme of the spectrum, in which parents single-handedly allow for their child’s cycle of bingeing to perpetuate by making excessive amounts of alcohol accessible. There is no air of maturity, responsibility, mutual respect, or genuine appreciation for alcohol in this instance. Therefore, in no way is it similar to the ‘European’ approach.

Learn to sustain an informed argument before pouring out your views so ardently.

Sidney says:

10:54am | 08/05/11

May I use your photo for a school project?

Zulkefly says:

03:48pm | 06/01/12

Would like to think that if teenagers are given the 411 on what alcohol drinking entails, they would be gradually- and by gradually I mean, very slowly - learn the ropes of it.  I mean, come on, we will get to drink even for one time in our lives, might as well learn it from our folks.  Personally, I wish I would have preferred to learn the art of drinking from my dad instead of from 12-something-year-old kids who threw up after the first bottle. College paper on binge drinking.