Youth Binge Drinking
“More young people in Wales have been drunk at least twice by the age of 13 than anywhere else in the western world, a survey has found.” (BBC.co.uk)
So there is a huge binge drinking problem in the UK. I’ll save the discussion about adult binge drinking for another time. (Probably after I’ve seen yet another yob barfing on the tube.)
What has been top of mind as of late has been the issue of youth binge drinking. It’s actually gotten so bad here that the NHS has launched a pretty intense “Know Your Limits” public service campaign.
Just a few stories to illustrate:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article747872.ece
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=179982&in_page_id=34&in_a_source=
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/2116518/Drunk-and-disorderly-children-escaping-prosecution.html
To remedy the issue the government has decided to “get tough” by slamming those who sell cheap booze (Tesco and ASDA in particular) and by proposing that the suggesting a minimum price for liquor. To show the kids that they mean business, they have proposed that you should be over 21 to buy alcohol in the stores, but 18 year olds can still buy booze in pubs and restaurants. Today I read that they were now trying to make those buying alcohol at the market should have to go through an “alcohol-only” check out.
What you have here is a government that is desperate to provide a superficial fix to a problem that is deeply complex. It’s like trying to put lipstick on a pig really.
To quote the Children's Commissioner for Wales Keith Towler, "The whole of our culture is based on drinking," he said. "As adults we have got to think of our responsibilities to children and what example we are setting."