# Teenagers and alcohol?



## 2nd time mum

This one might cause a bit of controversy but I am interested in people's opinions here.

Would you buy alcohol for your 16 year old?


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## Tilliepink

I don't have teenagers but I'm gonna go with no, I'm not a drinker and my parents never encouraged early drinking.


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## 17thy

I don't think I'd buy my 16 year old alcohol. Especially not with his/her friends around or for any type of party. Now if I had a bottle of wine sitting around and they wanted a glass, or something along those lines, I don't think I'd have a problem with that. But buying your kid alcohol can get you in SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much trouble, I wouldn't want to risk it. Seriously lol.


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## vhal_x

If it was for a wee drink in the house, with me there, then yes. As long as they were responsible, and I was there, I don't see much harm in it. 

Better that than them stoating around drunk (as I did many a time at *14* :blush:) without my permission xx


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## Bexxx

If it was to drink in my house then probably, yes. I'd be scared they'd go out and get hold of the alcohol by other means and get drunk without me even knowing. I don't mean I'd buy enough to get a teenager drunk anyway. Maybe a bacardi breezer or something!


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## Amber4

When I was younger my Mum always got me and my friend a WKD or 2 when she stayed over. She saw it as a much safer option because if I was out of the house she couldn't see what I was drinking or how much. I know if she stopped me drinking then I'd probably just go out and do it instead. :flower:


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## mummy3

I wouldn't:flower:


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## kiki04

My mom used to and I stayed home and drank it most times, but still did it when I was out and it did me no good. I would be fine if we had company and my kids asked for ONE beer or something as we all sat around a bonfire or something but no I wouldnt go out and buy them alcohol to go party it up with their friends....


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## hypnorm

No, they could have a drink with us if we were having one but I wouldn't by drinks for them to have.


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## 10.11.12

Absolutely not! I'm only 19 myself but there is no way in hell I'd EVER buy my daughter alcohol at 16! I'm her parent not her best friend. You can get in soooo much trouble for providing alcohol to minors here (or having teens drink at your house even if you know or not) major fines and possible jail time.


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## snowfia

When I was 16 my parents would buy me wkd and things like that to drink if we had family or friends coming over for the evening etc. And would buy me a bottle to take if I was going to a friends party (at their house and it was ok with their parents)
I was also allowed to have beer and wine with them which I don't like anyway so never had it.
I don't see anything wrong with it as long as it's not strong alcohol and if they're with adults in a safe environment. Better than them going out getting drunk on the streets.


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## sarahsmith199

it depends..... i would never buy them alcohol to take it out the house. 
i would if they where fdrinking ot at home. 
my mum brought me up with a white wine spritzer on special ocasions like xmas since i was probably about 12. being brought up with alcohol around me has ment when i turned 18 or even before i was never realy bothered about it. and neither are my brothers and sisters. so i think its good in your own home and not to eccess ! :D


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## Bex84

I personally wouldent but thats due to I have people who are alchoholics in my family so dont like to be around alchohol. I dont drink at all, my OH doesent drink that much. I was bought up in a home where we didnt really drink due to alchoholism in the family, I never drank anything till I was 18 and even then it was only 1 or 2 alchopops occasionally. I never missed it. I think if its not around the home she wont be encouraged to drink


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## JASMAK

No, it's against the law. If your child got in a car accident, died, or something else, it would fall entirely on your shoulders, but it is against the law, and I do not break laws (or I wouldn't work where I work). I think it's irresponsible because you are teaching your teen that it is OK to break laws, and if you teach them that...what other laws are they going to break? I would rather teach my child if he/she goes to a party and happens to drink, then to phone me. Always, my kids can phone and I will go get them...but under no circumstances would I give alcohol, cigs or any other under age substance to my children, or support it, or allow it in my house.


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## morri

beer and wine are freely to buy for 16 yo here. Also it is better to have them try alcohol at home than with friends.


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## JASMAK

morri said:


> beer and wine are freely to buy for 16 yo here. Also it is better to have them try alcohol at home than with friends.

Wow, that's young. It's 19 here...same with cigs


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## morri

Hard alcohol is free from 18 years- (drivers license is only from 18 yeas on too as are any other adult based stuff such as conscription to army ;) )


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## Bexxx

JASMAK said:


> No, it's against the law. If your child got in a car accident, died, or something else, it would fall entirely on your shoulders, but it is against the law, and I do not break laws (or I wouldn't work where I work). I think it's irresponsible because you are teaching your teen that it is OK to break laws, and if you teach them that...what other laws are they going to break? I would rather teach my child if he/she goes to a party and happens to drink, then to phone me. Always, my kids can phone and I will go get them...but under no circumstances would I give alcohol, cigs or any other under age substance to my children, or support it, or allow it in my house.

It's not illegal here to give alcohol to children in your own home. Above 5 I think.


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## JASMAK

Bexxx said:


> JASMAK said:
> 
> 
> No, it's against the law. If your child got in a car accident, died, or something else, it would fall entirely on your shoulders, but it is against the law, and I do not break laws (or I wouldn't work where I work). I think it's irresponsible because you are teaching your teen that it is OK to break laws, and if you teach them that...what other laws are they going to break? I would rather teach my child if he/she goes to a party and happens to drink, then to phone me. Always, my kids can phone and I will go get them...but under no circumstances would I give alcohol, cigs or any other under age substance to my children, or support it, or allow it in my house.
> 
> It's not illegal here to give alcohol to children in your own home. Above 5 I think.Click to expand...

Seriously? Oh wow...no, that's a big no-no here. Funny how cultures are so different.


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## Amarna

I would only give a teenager (16 and above) a wine or beer on a special occasion like a holiday meal or family thing. And even then only one. I would never buy them alcohol specifically for themselves or any for use outside of the home.


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## lozzy21

Depends on the situation, to go get pissed on the street corner then no but if it was for drinking in a house supervised then yes.

I would rather show them how to drink sensibly and safely. If drink is a taboo then they are only going to associate alcohol with getting drunk, On mainland europe where its normal to have wine with most meals they dont have the binge drinking culture that the UK does.


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## ballet mom

I wouldn't ever buy my child alcohol. I don't drink anymore and I hope that my kids don't start drinking at all. I personally don't think that giving alcohol in the home will stop them going out and getting drunk; imo it just says that drinking is ok.


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## RachA

I wouldn't buy them alcohol per say. But i would allow them to have alcohol with me in my house that i have bought iykwim. I don't see any problem at all in letting underage children drink alcohol in my own home - i'd much rather that than them go out and ask strangers to buy it for them etc and to drink it without me knowing.


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## GypsyDancer

When i was 16 my mum would sometimes get me WKD or bacardi breezers if my friends were staying round..i loved it..but i never drank loads..it was just a little fun..i never got drunk at home or out...and i never drank on the streets or purchased alcohol underage..im not much of a drinker now so it did me absolutely no harm..i think its just abit of fun at that age..
If its to drink at home..and you know its a safe amount for them to drink..then i would be fine with it..
I thought that parents could give their children alcohol at home over 16..:shrug:


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## JASMAK

ballet mom said:


> I wouldn't ever buy my child alcohol. I don't drink anymore and I hope that my kids don't start drinking at all. I personally don't think that giving alcohol in the home will stop them going out and getting drunk; imo it just says that drinking is ok.

We must be from the same province!:haha: I am on the island. :)


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## helen1234

my daughter is 17 next month,and when she's in the house at xmas this yr we let her have a couple of wkd's she'd going to a friends for nye and were letting her take 2 wkd's with her as a treat.

i've found the more you say no, they'll go do it behind your back with excessive results. 

i was no no no on the matter and then a yr ago she decided to swipe a small bottle of vodka from our cupboard and her and a mate drank the lot she was sick everywhere and she felt pretty rotten. she learnt the hard way!!

so i say yes if its for an occasion and drill home the responsibly drinking lecture 

buying alcohol for no reason then no I wouldn't 

x


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## mum22ttc#3

lozzy21 said:


> Depends on the situation, to go get pissed on the street corner then no but if it was for drinking in a house supervised then yes.
> 
> I would rather show them how to drink sensibly and safely. If drink is a taboo then they are only going to associate alcohol with getting drunk, On mainland europe where its normal to have wine with most meals they dont have the binge drinking culture that the UK does.

This :thumbup:

If it was just for the sake of it then no I wouldn't. If however it was in the house for an occasion etc then yes I would, supervised of course. It would have to be there already though, I wouldn't go out purposely too buy it iyswim?

I agree that I would rather make sure they knew how to drink responsibly, not make it a taboo because as a teenager this just makes it all the more appealing. :)


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## LittleBoo

mum22ttc#3 said:


> lozzy21 said:
> 
> 
> Depends on the situation, to go get pissed on the street corner then no but if it was for drinking in a house supervised then yes.
> 
> I would rather show them how to drink sensibly and safely. If drink is a taboo then they are only going to associate alcohol with getting drunk, On mainland europe where its normal to have wine with most meals they dont have the binge drinking culture that the UK does.
> 
> This :thumbup:
> 
> If it was just for the sake of it then no I wouldn't. If however it was in the house for an occasion etc then yes I would, supervised of course. It would have to be there already though, I wouldn't go out purposely too buy it iyswim?
> 
> I agree that I would rather make sure they knew how to drink responsibly, not make it a taboo because as a teenager this just makes it all the more appealing. :)Click to expand...

Agree with both of the above!


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## RainbowDrop_x

> UNDER FIVES
> It is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency.
> 
> It is thought the Children Act 1908 made provision for parents to give alcohol to a very young child, where it could be considered an anaesthetic in cases of acute injury.
> 
> UNDER 16s
> Children under 16 can go anywhere in a pub as long as they are supervised by an adult, but cannot have any alcoholic drinks.
> 
> However some premises may be subject to licensing conditions preventing them from entering, for example pubs which have experienced problems with underage drinking.
> 
> 16 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS
> Young people aged 16 or 17 can drink beer, wine or cider with a meal if it is bought by an adult and they are accompanied by an adult.
> 
> It is illegal for this age group to drink spirits in pubs even with a meal.
> 
> UNDER 18s
> It is illegal for people under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence, shop or elsewhere.
> 
> And in most cases, it is against the law for anyone to buy alcohol for someone under 18 to drink in a pub or a public place.
> 
> It is legal for adults to buy alcohol for children over four to drink in the home.
> 
> Under the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997, police have powers to confiscate alcohol from under 18s drinking in public places including streets and parks.

^^^ These are the laws in the UK if anyone is interested :flower:

I personally wouldn't buy alcohol for a 16 year old to get rat arsed.. Having said that I would prefer for my 16 year old to drink in the house where they can be supervised than to it on the street (which although illegal does happen... I know I've been there) with a group of people who would probably be none the wiser to the dangers that drinking can concur


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## 10.11.12

These are the U.S laws :flower: 
For minors 
Minors who purchase, attempt to purchase, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages, as well as minors who are intoxicated in public or misrepresent their age to obtain alcoholic beverages, face the following consequences:

Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500
Alcohol awareness class
8 to 40 hours community service
30 to 180 days loss or denial of driver's license
If a minor is seventeen years of age or older and the violation is the third offense, the offense is punishable by a fine of $250 to $2,000, confinement in jail for up to 180 days or both, as well as automatic driver's license suspension.

A minor with previous alcohol-related convictions will have his or her driver's license suspended for one year if the minor does not attend alcohol awareness training that has been required by the judge.

Consequences for adults who provide
Adults and minors who give alcohol to a minor also face a stiff penalty. The punishment for making alcoholic beverages available to a minor is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $4,000, confinement in jail for up to a year, or both. Additionally, the violator will have his or her driver´s license automatically suspended for 180 days upon conviction.

Persons 21 or older (other than the parent or guardian) can be held liable for damages caused by intoxication of a minor under 18 if the adult knowingly provided alcoholic beverages to a minor or knowingly allowed the minor to be served or provided alcoholic beverages on the premises owned or leased by the adult.

Sale to a minor is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $4,000, confinement up to a year in jail, or both.


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## Wildfire81

I live in only 1 of 6 states in the US that allows minors to drink at home, with parental consent.


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## mandwrx

When arguing with my OH about this, his opinion was 'It's just one drink, it's only a little bit so it doesn't really matter' to which I replied 'oh ok so as long as it's only one it's alright by you? Shall we let them smoke one cigarette too? Just one joint, one bong? Have sex just once, just a little bit? He quickly changed his tune. 

I think the alcohol culture in my country is atrocious and enabling teens to drink when underage just perpetuates it.


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## mum22ttc#3

mandwrx said:


> When arguing with my OH about this, his opinion was 'It's just one drink, it's only a little bit so it doesn't really matter' to which I replied 'oh ok so as long as it's only one it's alright by you? Shall we let them smoke one cigarette too? Just one joint, one bong? Have sex just once, just a little bit? He quickly changed his tune.
> 
> I think the alcohol culture in my country is atrocious and enabling teens to drink when underage just perpetuates it.

The only thing I see different is that alcohol doesn't have the side effects that smoking a cigarette or weed has i.e Cancer etc if drunk responsibly, which is what I would want to teach my LO's. Alcohol doesn't have to be drunk to the extent of getting absolutely wasted and personally I don't see the problem in enjoying a drink once in a while.

Also to most people Alcohol isn't as addictive as smoking and can be drunk in a reasonable way, smoking is very addictive and the probability is if you allow one then it won't stay at one iykwim?

Also In this country sex is legal at 16 which is the age the OP is talking about so is a little different IMO. Not sure what the age is though in Australia. :)


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## 2nd time mum

Thank you so much for all your opinions. This made very interesting reading for me. I did buy him a few bottles of lager and he was at his friends house and was very apprehensive about it. I spoke with the parents whose house he was at who also agreed their kid could do it and they were all under adult supervision which made me feel a bit better about it.

I also got my son to phone/text me every hour to keep in contact which he stuck with aswell.

I agree with the other opinions where it is better to know what they are doing as opposed to having them hang around street corners. If you are fair and reasonable with them then they will return that respect which has happened in this case. I would not want it to be a regular thing and my son has agreed.

Thanks again ladies for all your opinions and information on this xx


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## ~RedLily~

I would. I can only go by my own experiences where my mum would buy me wkd or whatever and by the time I was 18 I wasn't very interested in drinking and by 19 and a half completely stopped. Her reason for letting me drink was because she was completely banned so when she was 18 went wild drinking.


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## CarlyP

I wouldn't go out and buy it, but I wouldn't mind them having a drink on special occasions like Xmas/new yr, with us present, but it would only be the one.


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## alicemummy

Shoot me down and call me a bad parent, but yes I would.

Its better then going to some skeeze who wants god knows what in return for buying it for them. Saying that, I dont want my children hanging round street corners with a bottle of Frosty Jacks in their hands. 

I wouldnt buy proper strong alcohol (like vodka) but I dont see anything wrong with a glass or two of wine with friends under supervision, or a beer/cider. 

Alcopops too, but I really dont like them and the children might not either.

I had a "rebelious" teens, and although some may think it would make me a bad parent, I will buy them alcohol if they want alcohol. I would never give another child alochol (under 18) without parental consent however.


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## Pixie71

I wouldnt as a general rule, but on my hen night I let her have a little bit of champers that was it! We were allowed a little sip as kids but not more than that, they will go out and get it if they really want to, so as long as there is adult supervision and only a small amount available it might work out ok!
:)


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## Vonnie18

I probably would. Not saying I'd buy them alcohol so they could hang out on the street and drink it but maybe a few bottles of beer for at home. I don't see a problem with that and as long as they learn to drink in moderation x


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## hopeandpray

I was allowed a glass of wine with dinner since I was 16, well really I decided at 16 that I felt old enough. I promised myself I wouldn't drink at all until I was 16 and my parents respected me for making that decision. I didn't drink enough to even be tipsy until I was 18. I wouldn't buy a teen alcohol just to go drinking but would have no problem with them having it with a meal. I live in Ireland where the culture of alcohol is just disgusting. People have no concept of restraint and self control. I was brought up with more of a european idea of moderation and I worked out well for me.


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## smelly07

Personally No, i wouldnt buy my daughters alcohol, i obviously can not stop them drinking but i dont want them thinking that i think drinking alcohol is okay or even a good thing as tbh all i have seen and experienced from alcohol is negative....i did have a phase of drinking before i had my girls and a lot of pain has happened in the family due to alcohol so imo if they want to drink thats fine, when they are of legal age and of course i will teach them about being responsible just like with all things but i'm not going to encourage it or give them a taste of something just because they might do it behind my back otherwise iykwim x


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## tearDrops

Nope, not gonna happen. I don't condone for my teen to even try drinking. Personally, drinking is such a big responsibility and a teen is not yet mature enough to handle it. That is why there are age restrictions put in place. But I will talk to my teen about alcohol and its dangers. Just lay out everything about it and what will happen when he/she does try it out. I probably would also give out rules regarding drinking and that there will be consequences to follow if I do caught him/her. I am not saying that I will be super strict, I was a teenager once and I know how curious we are at that age but that doesn't mean that I will allow it too. Disciplining them with rules, for me, will enable me to get the message across that I won't be allowing this from happening soon. :thumbup:


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## morri

Age restriction are 16 years for Beer and Wine in Germany


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## debywise

I wouldn't ever buy my kids alcohol. Underage drinking is a big deal, and it's illegal until age 21.

Parents should not let their kids drink any alcohol. Alcohol is dangerous for kids and teens and sometimes for adults, too.. If you find that your child is experimenting with alcohol, you must be vigilant. Too much experimentation may lead to alcohol abuse. Here are a few tips to help parents deal with underage drinking.


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