A recent survey has revealed that 35% of parents admitted to buying alcohol for their underage children.
The main reason for this was said to be “Better from me than someone unknown”.
Other reasons also used according to the survey were “So I can keep an eye on what they drink” and “To stay in control of what they drink”.
Balance is the name of the North East Alcohol Office and the director; Colin Shevills told The Chronicle:
“Every year, around 300 children in our region are admitted to hospital because of alcohol. Worryingly, our drinking culture is putting our children and their future at risk.”
“When parents buy alcohol for their children it is often with safety and supervision in mind, but it’s important that they recognise this can unintentionally lead to a host of problems for their child’s health and wellbeing. It’s vital parents make their children aware of the risks that can arise from drinking.
“A person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to consume alcohol. Alcohol contributes to around 60 known medical conditions, including eight different cancers.
“Drinking alcohol can also have an immediate impact on children’s safety, making them vulnerable to taking risky decisions and the negative intentions of others. All too often drinking alcohol leads to children being involved in fights, victims of crime, having unprotected sex, saying ‘yes’ to drugs, or ending the evening in A&E.”
Booze Up, the alcohol delivery service conducted the survey and a partner in the company Darren Sawyer said of the results:
“Those underage teens that are caught with alcohol in a public place could also face a social contract, a fine or arrest. Every parent wants the best for their child, but getting a criminal record could affect future job opportunities.”
The survey questioned over 1,000 parents with 27% saying they had been asked by their children to buy them alcohol and 13% admitted to giving in.
The survey revealed the most common ploy used to convince parents was children saying “Everyone else’s parents buy it.”
The survey also concluded that mums were more likely to buy alcohol for underage children than dads.
