The couple that allowed underage drinking. (Article)

Rex · #1 02-17-2005, 07:41 PM

I couldn't find the news article but it's about the couple that held a new years party for their kids that included 50 kids and they supplied the alchohol, yet took away the keys so they couldn't drive.

It was on the O'Reilly Factor.

My email:

Quote:

Bill,

While your correct on allowing underage drinking is illegal, your missing the big picture. If you think kids, even your own, are not going out and drinking your being delusional. They are going to do it anyway whether you know of it or not. So why not educate them on how to be safe and drink at the same time? Your ignorance must be bliss.

Am I the only one with this thinking?

edit: Found the article http://www.nydailynews.com/front/sto...p-230016c.html

Circle_One · #2 02-17-2005, 07:46 PM

When I was younger, I had a good friend whose mother was like this. She used to allow my friend to have parties and supply the alcohol for the kids there but take away the keys just like these parents. It was under the premise that "at least they're doing it where I can watch them and know they're safe."

Lightkeeper · #3 02-17-2005, 07:48 PM

What are you teaching your children by allowing underage drinking? You are teaching them to break the law. The earlier children drink the more chance they have to become an alcoholic. Alcohol is a drug and can't be good for a body that is still forming. Some parts of the brain isn't fully developed until a person is 25. If you truly want to teach them how to drink, then it can be done when it's legal.

Rex · #4 02-17-2005, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

What are you teaching your children by allowing underage drinking? You are teaching them to break the law. The earlier children drink the more chance they have to become an alcoholic. Alcohol is a drug and can't be good for a body that is still forming. Some parts of the brain isn't fully developed until a person is 25. If you truly want to teach them how to drink, then it can be done when it's legal.

Well now your talking about the "legality" of it. I mean the age at one time was 18 now 21, that's doesn't make it any more "legal" in my mind. Lets look at the international community. They begin at 16, and their statistics are far less for alchohilsm and related crimes/accidents.

If you don't teach at a young age, later may be too late.

Lightkeeper · #5 02-17-2005, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circle_One

When I was younger, I had a good friend whose mother was like this. She used to allow my friend to have parties and supply the alcohol for the kids there but take away the keys just like these parents. It was under the premise that "at least they're doing it where I can watch them and know they're safe."

I have seen this happen, two people became serious alcoholics and one married an alcoholic.

Circle_One · #6 02-17-2005, 07:50 PM

I'm on both sides of the argument here. While I completely agree that underage drinking is wrong and do not condone it, if a teenager wants to drink, they will find the means to do it whether you (the parent) like it or not and I would rather know my child was safe instead of them doing it at night in some field with people I don't know where the Gods know what could happen and me not knowing where they are and what they are doing.

Rex · #7 02-17-2005, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

I have seen this happen, two people became serious alcoholics and one married an alcoholic.

And I can point out two people they didn't drink and the same thing happend. This argument is circular and weak.

Circle_One · #8 02-17-2005, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rex_Admin

Well now your talking about the "legality" of it. I mean the age at one time was 18 now 21, that's doesn't make it any more "legal" in my mind. Lets look at the international community. They begin at 16, and their statistics are far less for alchohilsm and related crimes/accidents.

If you don't teach at a young age, later may be too late.

The Legal age in Quebec is 18 and I think it's 19 in the rest of Canada. I don't really a 16 year old drinking is much different than an 18 year old. I know I was drinking younger than 16 and I'm not an alcoholic. For every point for or against underage drinking, there is also an opposite, equally sound argument as well. What I mean is, as Rex pointed out, there may well be alcoholics that became that way because of beginning their drinking while underage, but as well, there are just as many people who did drink while underage and did not grow up to be alcholics, or just as many people who didn't drink at a young age and still grew up to be alcholics. One cannot take these arguments to be statistically sound.

Scorn · #9 02-17-2005, 08:08 PM

18 in BC Circle One
I'm with Rex on this. And thanks for emailing O'Reilly. I've done that before. It seems to fall on deaf ears however. Education in any form is far more effective than suppressing it. My oldest is at the age now where this is about to become an issue. I've told him that if the parents of his friends know and are ok with this provided I keep them safe then it will be allowed IN my house and under our rules. No one will drive under the influence. Teens will be driven home. So far he's been uninterested in testing this freedom. But at least he doesn't feel as though he needs to hide it.

linwood · #10 02-17-2005, 08:10 PM

I agree with you Rex but I wouldn`t waste bandwidth on an e-mail to oreilly.