CHILDREN should not be given a taste of alcohol in the hope of encouraging them to drink sensibly, according to Guernsey’s director of public health.
Dr Stephen Bridgman (pictured) said yesterday he agreed with a report issued by the UK’s chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson, which said children should not be introduced to alcohol at a young age.
Sir Liam said parents should be discouraged from giving their children watered-down wine in the hope of encouraging better drinking habits as adults.
Dr Bridgman said that, in line with the World Health Organisation, the Health and Social Services Department did not recommend giving alcohol to young children.
‘Alcohol remains a major cause of preventable deaths in adults in the island,’ he said.
The 2008 lifestyle survey showed that 90% of islanders drank alcohol – and it was responsible for 20 deaths in Guernsey each year.
One in five drank alcohol every day with a third drinking on two or three nights a week.
‘In Guernsey there does tend to be a bit of a binge drinking culture and that does produce problems,’ said Dr Bridgman.
He said policing alcohol with young people was down to a number of factors, including parental control.
In his report Sir Liam said that no one under the age of 15 should drink at all and it was down to parents to set a good example.
He said 15- to 17-year-olds should be allowed to drink only under parental supervision.
‘The idea that you give children alcohol early on and they will be OK is not supported by evidence. The earlier they are introduced to alcohol the more they get a taste for it and are likely to end up as heavily drinking adults or binge drinking in their childhood,’ said Sir Liam.
Guidelines written by the chief medical officer said that excessive alcohol contributed to injuries from falls, fire, drowning and asphyxiation.
In addition alcohol affects the developing brain, causing depression, mental health problems, long-term memory problems and difficulty finding words.
It damages the liver and reduces bone density and levels of growth hormone, testosterone and oestrogen.
Article posted on 18th December, 2009 - 2.29pm
10 Article Comments
I suppose it was inevitable really. The Health Police have successfully stamped on tobacco users so now they are turning their attention on booze.
One day we will live in a world where everything that is ‘bad for you’ is banned and we will all live long, healthy and miserable lives.
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I believe this will be counter-productive.
I think this is counter-productive. Prohibiting under 15s from trying a glass of wine or beer will only stir rebellion. Introducing alcohol as a perfectly normal part of life that can be enjoyed responsibly is good parenting.
For the record I hardly drink (after approx 10 years of binge drinking) however it is my intention to introduce my daughter to responsible drinking before the age of 15. Rather that then she learns about it from her mates and Hollywood.
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Plenty of other countries introduce their children to alcohol at a much younger age and have very few problems with binge drinking.
The problem is britain, austalia and a small number of other countries which has a bad drinking culture and too many people who are unable to handle the quantities of alcohol the think they can consume.
As people have said introducing alcohol in a controlled setting will hopefully lead to a better understanding then starting your drinking career with a bottle of white lightning in delancy park.
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‘90% of islanders drank alcohol’
We really do have a problem then?
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You wont catch my old mate John up the Plaza in a rush to sell alcohol to the under 15’s in fact no-one stands a chance of being served in excess,keep up the good work !
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This isn’t a new law, eh? (And if it was it’d be impossible to enforce).
This is just advice that we are all free to ignore, if we want.
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Young people in Guernsey have always enjoyed getting “legless” as part of their social life. My grandparents did it, my parents did it and it and so did I when I was a kid thirty years ago. I bet even Dr Bridgman had more than a few sherbets when he was a medical student.
The only thing that has changed is that we now live in a nanny state where we are no longer allowed, as individuals, to do anything that may cause us harm.
Who are these self appointed guardians of society and who gave them a mandate to curtail our freedoms?
It makes me terribly sad to see the good old British (and Guernsey) pub becoming a thing of the past because of the smoking ban and punitive taxes on alcohol. We may all end up a little healthier but, in my opinion, we are losing a really important part of our identity. All because these do-gooders tell us we must.
It makes me even sadder to think that our youngsters will grow up in a society where they are not allowed to make their own mistakes. For goodness sakes let them get drunk and behave like idiots and regret it the next day – its all part of growing up.
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A very irresponsible attitude CD. No-one is saying don’t get drunk and behave like idiots etc – just to do it at the appropriate time for the person’s development, both physical and psychological.
We’ve all seen the mess that teens can get into, largely because they lack the imagination/good parenting to point them towards more constructive uses of their time.
Luckily I spent my teen years persuing sporting endevours – instead of getting hammered on Friday nights, I was often in the gym and had to be up early for a Saturday job, or competition trips away I paid for with the earnings from that job.
Yes, I did get drunk, but at uni, where I was a) physically able to cope and b) legal!
Why are you encouraging law breaking and why do you think the laws were there in the first place?
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1. drinking at home in the presence of an adult is legal from the age of 5 (so check your facts) 2. Getting drunk when you’re 15 in the park or at you’re friends houses is a rite of passage, dont ruin it because your a boring sod who spent the best years of his life in the gym.
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CD totally agree with you
billythefish your totally contradicting yourself. there is NEVER a good time physical or psychologically to handle getting drunk or binge drinking. as cd said its nanny state. give it a few years and smokers and drinkers will be refused all medical treatment but last time i checked we had human rights and choices. weve all gotten drunk and binged and as ross queripel said its a rite of passage. The more you make it forbidden the more the kids want to try it and see what were all hiding. Id be more than willing to let my son try alcohol before 18 at home but at the moment he doesnt want to and is not interested. Its the same old story, you can have it and are offered, then your not bothered, you’re curious and want to try and its denied and you want it more than ever
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