After a child of ten was revealed to be among dozens of under-18s referred to drug and alcohol misuse treatment services in Hull, Natalie Murphy looks at how parents should approach the subject of drink with their children.
CHILDREN growing up in the city in the late 1800s were targeted with a clear message about alcohol.
It was the time of the temperance movement and abstinence was being promoted to children as young as six by groups such as the Band of Hope.
Hull Museums Collection has one of its medals, inscribed with the pledge, "I promise to abstain from all intoxicating drinks as a beverage", given to its estimated 10,000 young members.
The thinking at the time was that it was better to educate the young than try to convert the grown-ups who were already drinking.
Encouraging the avoidance of alcohol altogether is one way to protect children from the dangers of drink, but according to a new poll, the majority (86 per cent) of parents have given their children alcohol when they have asked for it.
The study, by DrinkAware, found, on average, a child aged 14 to 17 can expect to get nine units of alcohol to take to post-exam parties, holidays or festivals – the equivalent of four cans of beer, an entire bottle of wine or a third of a bottle of vodka.
Outside of the exam celebration period, more than half (54 per cent) of parents surveyed said they had given their child an alcoholic drink.
Elaine Hindle, chief executive of the charity, said: "The average amount some parents are providing is equivalent to a whole bottle of wine and that is more than enough to get a 15-year-old drunk.
"It is illegal for parents to buy alcohol on behalf of someone under 18. Worse still, it normalises a culture of excessive drinking among young people."
As reported in the Mail, figures released recently under the Freedom of Information Act revealed a ten-year-old from Hull is among dozens of under-18s who have been referred to drug and alcohol misuse treatment services.
In the East Riding, children as young as 12 have been referred. The majority are said to have problems with
cannabis and/or alcohol.
In Hull, cannabis is the most reported substance, followed by alcohol.
Being referred for drug or alcohol treatment is still rare in under-18s – there were 92 cases in the East Riding in 2013-14 and 134 under-19s in Hull in the same period. However, the subject of drinking is something likely to come up for every parent.
From this month, Year 6 pupils at primary school – aged ten and 11 – must be taught to "recognise the impact of diet, exercise and drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function" as part of the science curriculum.
But what should mums and dads be teaching their children at home?
Opinion is divided among experts on whether to follow what people claim is the Continental example of incorporating drinks such as wine into family meals from a young age or something more akin to the temperance times, where alcohol is strictly banned for under-18s in the house.
Paula Lavis, co-ordinator of policy and campaigns for Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, points to evidence that suggests under-15s should not drink alcohol and 15 to 17-year-olds should drink infrequently and no more than once a week.
She said: "This is because young people are still developing, both in terms of their body and their brain, and alcohol can have a negative impact on this.
"A previous chief medical officer for England produced guidance that said that 'an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option'."
But Dr Amanda Gummer, psychologist and specialist in children and their developmental issues blames binge-drinking on the "forbidden fruit approach".
She said: "If it's forbidden and children don't understand why, they are likely to want to test it for themselves.
"Because they will be going behind their parents' backs, there will be no control or moderation and binge-drinking is more likely.
"Giving teenagers a gradual introduction to alcohol as part of family life removes the appeal of the forbidden, but too much, too often can lead to habitual, rather than binge-drinking, which in the longer-term, can be very damaging.
"The most important thing parents can do is talk to their teens about drinking."
That is something everyone seems to agree on.
Deciding what to say, however, is another matter.
