Alcohol Concern calls for parents who allow their children under 15, in their own homes, to drink alcohol to be prosecuted for doing so. Currently it is illegal to give alcohol to children under five, but Alcohol Concern wants it raised by a decade. They also want alcohol adverts to be banned before the watershed and to include lessons on the dangers of alcohol in the national curriculum.

This is, of course, ridiculous.

Why do they want to impose more and more legislation and regulation on us? What is the point? Especially at a time when our law and order system is already overflowing, why do they want to add yet another crime? Besides, those who would obey any new law would be the ones who would introduce their kids to alcohol in an intelligent way anyway, thus negating the entire point of the legislation.

When will it actually be understood that banning something doesn’t help? Especially if you are aiming at youths. If anything, banning makes it more fun and desirable for them to do! Tightening the sale of alcohol to those under age is a good idea, but how? And how will it be enforced, anyway? How would this entire proposal be enforced on parents?! Not only is it stupid, it is also absolutely impractical.

Children are best introduced to alcohol slowly in an in controlled environment ergo, the best way is in the family home with parents. If they can’t experiment there at all, they will just end up getting a bottle of cider and drinking it on a field somewhere with friends! You can’t prevent them from doing it, so it is best done in a controlled and supervised areas.

Alcohol can be harmful, yes, and many young people do drink way too much. But young people always have and always will. But if they are introduced gradually to alcohol gradually then they don’t see as anything all that special in it and so don’t feel the need to go and get wasted on a field with friends. They’d probably still go and drink with friends, but wouldn’t feel any need to rebel by getting drunk. This can be seen in the reactions of almost any American student who comes to a British university,. Because they can drink alcohol legally here, they go mad. It has always been banned to them so they have no idea how to control themselves.

If you ban something it becomes irresistible – the forbidden fruit. Ironically, Alcohol Concern’s proposal would almost certainly increase the number of youngsters would go and drink alcohol – and even those who didn’t would be far less prepared to deal with it when they were allowed to.

When it comes to alcohol, then I think:
Sources: BBC, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian