There is never much alcohol in our house.
I am a lifelong teetotaller and my wife very rarely drinks, so there are a few bottles and cans for guests, but nothing else.
That isn't to say I'm anti-booze, or that I believe alcohol is evil.
There are times, especially after a long day at work, that a glass of wine could well bring me the peace and tranquillity I need. I just don't like the taste.
My boys are now at an age when alcohol is of interest to them.
Gabriel is 14, Isaac 12, so they are becoming versed in the language of alcohol. Occasionally they will relate tales of friends getting drunk.
So it was with some interest that I read a new campaign has been launched, aimed at getting parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with alcohol.
The campaign is called "why let drink decide" and is meant to raise awareness of how booze can make young people vulnerable to problems such as unwanted pregnancies, road traffic accidents and poor marks at school.
You can understand why the Government feels the need for such a campaign.
About 500 young people are admitted to hospital each year in Sunderland as a result of alcohol consumption.
The Echo carried a front page story not long ago about children using pocket money to buy enough cheap booze to seriously harm them.
Research completed for the campaign shows that 40 per cent of 13-year-olds and 58 per cent of the 15-year-olds who have drunk alcohol had experienced negative consequences, including having a fight, visiting an accident or emergency department, or having an injury.
Apparently the results also showed that many parents fail to make the link between boozing and risky behaviour.
I have talked to my sons about drinking, though certainly NOT to persuade them to go down my own abstinence route.
If I'm honest I'd prefer them to drink when they're old enough – to be able to enjoy a pint down the pub or a glass of wine with friends.
But I'm very keen for them to be aware of the possible dangers, particularly when they start drinking.
And when they do start imbibing I want to be there. I want them to be in a supervised environment, not for them to be stood on a street corner with a bottle of iffy cider.
I want them to make their own decisions about alcohol, but for them to have the necessary facts on which to base those decisions.
I don't want there to be any aura or mystery about alcohol and drinking. I don't want them to see it as something that it's not, or that, despite what peer pressure there is, see over-drinking is something that all young people do.
They no doubt see me as a preachy non-drinker determined to swim against the tide.
But at least I've tried to talk to my kids.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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