Time agrees with me! Remember back a few blogs ago when I was talking about the culture of drinking and how making drinking more socially acceptable would prevent binge drinking? Well I ran across this article where this guy thinks the same thing!
In his words: “But there is a better way. At first it sounds a little nutty, but you might consider drinking with your kids. Incongruously, the way to produce fewer problem drinkers is to create more drinkers overall--that is, to begin to create a culture in which alcohol is not an alluring risk but part of quotidian family life. Of course, that's a mostly European approach to alcohol, but there's reason to think it could work here. And it may be the best way to solve the binge-drinking problem.”
The article also provides statistics and research pertaining to the issue. Would you ever consider drinking with your parents? Do you think this is healthier environment to learn about alcohol in than, say, with peers? Do you think parents would even be up for trying out this alternative? Give me your opinion!
I know many friends who's parent's allow them to drink and I think that it is a good idea. This way they won't have to sneak around and possibly find themselves in dangerous situations. A lot of the times when parents allow their children to drink, when they become older and go off to college or parties they don't find alcohol as such a big deal. Just like most other topics, such as sexual activity, it is better for it to be out in the open. The child knows that they can go to their parents with their problems and not be penalized for doing so.
ReplyDeleteI lived in a small town where many of my friends were allowed to drink in front of their parents or even with them. The family of my current boyfriend allowed him to drink and he has a very close relationship with his parents and older siblings. I have seen his wise decision making of when to stop drinking and maturity of drinking and driving. His father received a dui once and ever since then my boyfriend was asked to be a designated driver. His experience as a designated driver let him be behind the wheel while observing the others intoxicated that allowed him to see the huge risks and dangers of drunk driving. In my opinion, an open relationship with your family about topics such as underage drinking, sex or drugs is important because it allows the family to become closer and build trust. I agree with the comment above that stated how friends who have parents that allow them to drink do not find alcohol as crucial since they have experienced it before. One of my closest friends hardly drank in high school and when she came to college all she can talk about is going out and drinking. I look at her and see the urgency in her eyes. I have witnessed her becoming very sick while others who have had previous experience were able to comfort her. In my opinion, I think keeping an open door about drinking to your parents is smart because it frees any guilty thoughts and allows you to ask questions without the fear of getting into trouble.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Openness=safety when it comes to drinking. Thanks so much for your stories!
ReplyDeleteYou say that openness is safety but what if that just promotes people drinking earlier and ealier and then its an even worse problem than before.
ReplyDeleteThats where the debate comes into play. Some people, like you, think that getting kids to drink earlier will cause them to drink more. I, on the other hand, feel that if drinking is a casual and accepted thing within a culture, kids will be less apt to want to binge or over drink when they get the chance to do so.
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