Shocker: Letting kids experiment with drinking early, reduces binging

[thesilentone]

Well, my parents used to let me have a drink or two with family meals after the age of 12, but those occaisions probably happened only twice a year. And when I was 14 we were at my grandmothers 65th birthday in a fancy italian restaurent, i'd had my 2 glasses of red wine and was quite tipsy but wanted more. My older cousin poured me another glass, awesome I thought. Later she poured me another. Fan*hic*tastic I thought, drinkings amazing. A short while later I threw up blood red puke over the table as the waiters were bringing my grandmothers birthday cake.. Suffice to say I wasn't allowed to drink for a couple of years. (didn't stop me having booze ups at friends from 15 onwards though...)

I'm not sure if my parents letting me try it in moderation when I was young made a big difference, i'm no binge drinker now, and have never had any alcoholic inclinations, but I certainly don't think it caused any damage... other than the italian restaurents tablecloth...

[Jaguar]

Of course the people who aren't at all interested in alcohol and never once try it out before they're 21 don't end up as alcoholics. That shouldn't surprise anyone.

They wouldn't be alcoholics with a lowered drinking age either.

[Apocalypse]

My drinking tendencies have actually gone up after turning 23. Probably because my job sucks and I don't really spend the money on anything.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov

a) how come / based on what?

b) are there really people that don't drink before they are 21? at all?

I didn't drink before I was 21. The statistics are from the US.

It is likely to do with personality, and not age, but just wanted to throw it out there (if you are the general law abiding type, then you aren't likely to drown yourself in alcohol).

I have heard studies that teen brains are more sensitive to alcohol and drugs, and that addiction is more likely from them. This was biological.. but I didn't read the papers (heard about them from someone else).

JM

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
b) are there really people that don't drink before they are 21? at all?

Growing up with an alcoholic kinda soured me on the experience.

[Zkribbler]

I saw my dad take maybe 2-3 drinks during my entire lifetime.

[Kuciwalker]

The drinking age is stupid becuase it has no effect on teen consumption of alcohol.

/me doesn't drink, and won't after 21 either

[Wiglaf]

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Not at all, but there are a lot of people who did not drink regularly until college (19/20). Even then, many people in college can't afford to drink all that often.

A lot of the time in college you do not really pay for the alcohol.

Drinking age should be ENFORCED by campus police and SWAT teams if necessary, I am so sick and tired of just anybody being able to flaunt themselves to the law, as if it is some sort of nagging female to be insulted. If even the police sanction breaking the drinking laws, what is to stop students from cutting corners and breaking other laws, such as traffic laws or even parental notification of pregnancy laws. Nothing...you communicate a message and kids, who have little cognitive ability even in college, will take it to the next level until you forcibly tell them no. There is a more eloquent way to put this involving giving a mouse a cookie and him wanting milk, but not now, not tonight, I'm just out of time.

[Jon Miller]

That could be true. Before I was 21 I had no intention to ever drink in my lifetime either.

JM

[GePap]

I have had FAR more alcohol since college than any time before, and I did no drinking as a teen. At the same time, I have been drunk twice in my life, and thankfully have never drank to the point of either throwing up or passing out, and I have had only one hangover, which was more than enough for me.

That said, I would have to agree with the basic premise that introducing kids to alcohol earlier will prevent binge drinking. The point is not only letting kids drink before they are 21, its having their early drinking monitored, and letting parents set the parameters under which drinking can happen, therefore teaching their kids how to drink responsibly. Just letting kids drink early without parental oversight and training won't lead to anything but earlier binge drinking.

[Jon Miller]

I drank heavily for 2 years (a bit more), I have only had a few hangovers (mostly towards the end of that time period), but threw up a lot...

JM

[Zevico]

In Australia, I've seen people proud of getting drunk, vomiting, and then drinking some more. This is a rite of passage. Our drinking age is 18.
Personally I've been drunk twice in my life. Boring, and not really any fun either. You can have fun while drunk, but you can have more fun sober.

[Jon Miller]

That goes with my thinking that it is culture, not age.

JM

[b etor]

my dad always let me try whatever drinks he had. i usually didn't like them. and when we were in mexico he let me order whatever drinks i wanted, but i didn't really like those either.

this theory is working for my older sister. and my younger siblings have no interest in it all yet.

i'd much rather drink with my friends instead of my parents. they're much more fun. i rarely do that tho.

[Slaughtermeyer]

My family always basically allowed me to drink all I wanted as a child, but I never went on a binge. Even when I was 4 or 5 years old I remember my grandmother occasionally letting me have a sip of wine.