What age to allow alcohol?

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Clare
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:43 am

What age to allow alcohol?

Post by Clare »

My daughters aged 15 and 16 asked the other night if they were allowed alcohol in the confines of the house.

I asked if they would like wine but they said no they wanted nice alcohol. I asked what and one of them said Smirnoff.

I said no as I don't want them getting in to alcopops.

Any views on what age alcohol should be allowed?
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by Snowdrops »

Well obviously everyone has their own standards, and whilst I'd be happy for them to have a glass of wine or lager, I wouldn't be happy with Smirnoff. I mean, that's pretty hard stuff isn't it? I don't drink very much, but from what I do remember when I was young (oh soooooooo many years ago) Smirnoff's vodka isn't it?

Have you tried talking to them and telling them what you find acceptable and what you don't - and more importantly why? I know you said about alcopops, but is that the only reason why you wouldn't allow it?

Why do they want drink in the house - is it a party/some special occasion, or do they just want to drink for drinking's sake?
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guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by guest43 »

I would argue that at 15/16 wine, beer and cider is acceptable with a meal as well as in controlled amounts at supervised parties.

Smirnoff I would argue is never acceptable as it is drunk to get drunk rather than for the taste.

As a parent of a 14 year old I have to walk the line between alcohol being perfectly natural and alcohol abuse not being so.
wonderwoman
Posts: 511
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:07 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by wonderwoman »

It's very difficult - as a family we don't drink at home apart from the very occasional glass of wine with a meal. We drink far less than a bottle of wine a month. But having said that we do offer our 17 yr old a glass if we are having one and I let all the younger children try some if they ask. OH and boys were drinking beer watching 6 nations last week, boys had non-alcoholic versions. So they can only follow our drinking habits at home.

We have talked a lot about alcohol since DC were young, I haven't banned it and accept when they are at parties they do drink. But they know not to come home too drunk and that I will phone other parents to fetch their offsping if they think they are staying at our house legless. I also don't buy large quantities of alcohol for them to take to parties, though other parents do.

It's very difficult with teenagers, they want to try things out. I try not to overreact about drinking but as the child of an alcoholic it is a dangerous drug that needs to be used responsibly, which is why I've spoken to my DC about it since they were very young and try to set a good example. I also explain why I say no, if I do.
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by KB »

I would use this as the perfect opportunity for discussion and would be very wary of just saying 'no'.

I agree that pre 16 is too young but I woud be worried about why they are asking and what they will do if you say 'no'.

I would want to know what has given rise to this - have friends been bragging about, it is being drunk at places they go to etc.

Can also use it to lead into a dissussion about strength of different drinks, side-effects, how much it is safe to drink etc etc.

If they are just curious because friends are talking about it then you might want to consider letting then try some with you at home rather than them being tempted to try it elsewhere. Not as an ongoing thing, just so they have tried it. A small amount at their age will probably have an effect and I dont think it does any harm for them to learn what it feels like to be 'under the influence' and recognise the danger signs (say if someone spikes their drink at a party).
It does seem a bit young but since they have raised the matter & are showing an interest in drinking it probably is time to deal with it.

Teenage drinking is a minefield - for those that do & the pressure to conform on those that don't - at least your DDs have spoken to you about it, sure many parents have no idea what their children are getting up to.
Clare
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:43 am

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by Clare »

Thank you all for your considered responses.

Had a chat with the girls and have found out there has been a lot of discusssion at school.

Their peers are drinking at parties and at each others houses.I was surprised that parents allow this and my DD responded that they didn't know.

Have decided the baby stage was definitely the easy stage!

Mine seem to have forgotten about it for the moment and are distracted by doing the volvic challenge fortunately!
scary mum
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by scary mum »

My DD year 10 has never been terribly keen on alcohol (so far), but I know that there is always alcohol at parties and people do get drunk. I am very against alcopops as I don't think they realize what they are drinking. Does anyone know what percentage alcohol they are? DD went to a small girlie gathering a couple of weeks go where the parents gave them bottled bucks fizz which I thought was quite a good idea - they felt as if they were grown up but it was quite low in alcohol. Having said that for all I know alcopops could be the same but they do tend to swig them down by the bottleful.
scary mum
rachag
Posts: 209
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 9:27 pm

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by rachag »

Smirnoff Ice has 1.5 units per 275ml botlle.
I wouls strongly recommend parents to taste this stuff as a form of parental research!
I did a few years ago when there was a lot of fuss in media over them. Actually, was on M Warner hol and the oldest group in childrens activities, though not 18, could have drinks vouchers if their parents agreed. Much peer pressure amd some disgruntled parents!
Anyway, I had not had any alcohol that day prior to the Smirnoff Ice and could not actually tell there was alcohol in it!! This, as far as I can see, is pop designed to get drunk for people who don't like taste of alcoholic beverages.
If going to buy them beer, consider 2% lager - carling do a 2% lager and all the value type lagers, eg tesco at 29p per can, are 2% too. This is only 0.9 units per can.
There are some relatively low alcohol wines - Lambrini, some of perry type that are in single figures of alc by volume, and I think that the WWatchers wines are low alc but pricey. Spritzers sound quite sophisticated and less alcohol.
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by capers123 »

I remember having a splitting headache after a couple of bottles of 'Hoopers Hooch' (I think it was called) 20 odd years ago.

As for youngest age, when DD1 was 2, she drank champagne.

Not so irresponsible - it was quite literally a sip, at midnight, on New Years Eve 1999/2000. She didn't like it. Obviously scarred for life, now.

We did have a bottle of Childrens Alcohol-free Fizz, pink, horribly sweet and very fizzy - but in a champagne bottle - we opened it earlier in the evening. She wouldn't touch it either after a sip of it.

Since then, nothing. I'd be happy for them to have watered down wine, but I think they wouldn't like it.

Fizzy Vimto, on the other hand, seems very popular.
Capers
Sassie'sDad
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Re: What age to allow alcohol?

Post by Sassie'sDad »

I have been allowing my two daughters to drink limited qauntities of wine at meal times ever since they were in double figures. In the part of France I once lived, my friends did the same but the wine was watered (ugh!). Eldest is now 21 and, although she seemed to spend much of her first year at uni partying and drinking like her friends, she now chooses squash more often than not. Youngest, thirteen still likes to try now and then but alcohol has lost the sence of mystique. - Hope it continues!
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