At the moment I am watching a documentary on Teenage Binge Drinking in the UK, they are saying that the UK is the Binge Drinking capitol of Europe. It looks really bad, the teens in the documentary are insane, or are they just teens???

I have worked in Bars in both New Zealand and Australia, and have been around drunks of all ages, and as sad as it is to witness someone incapacitated by alcohol, I have always been concerned about the rising number of young people out on the streets, with their fake Ids trying to get past the night club door staff. Teenage Binge Drinking is clearly not just a UK problem.

* Do their parents know what they are doing; do they know where they are?

* What will my own children act like... soon?

* What can I do if anything?

* Is it just a part of growing up?

* It may be a part of growing up but there are kids killing themselves with alcohol

So what can I do?

I found a great site with some very useful information about effects of alcohol and more importantly talking to your children about alcohol that is appropriate to their age.

Talking to Kids About Alcohol

Long before your kids are presented with a chance to drink alcohol, you can take steps to increase the chances that they'll just say no.

Childhood is a time of learning and discovery, so it's important to encourage kids to ask questions, even ones that might be hard to answer. Open, honest, age-appropriate communication now sets the stage for your kids to come to you later with other difficult topics or problems.

Preschoolers
Although 3- and 4-year-olds aren't ready to learn the facts about alcohol or other drugs, they start to develop the decision-making and problem-solving skills they will need later on. You can help them develop those skills in some simple ways.

For instance, let toddlers choose their own clothing and don't worry if the choices don't match. This lets them know you think they're capable of making good decisions. Assign simple tasks and let kids know what a big help they are.

And set a good example of the behavior that you want your kids to demonstrate. This is especially true in the preschool years when kids tend to imitate adults' actions as a way of learning. So, by being active, eating healthy, and drinking responsibly, parents teach their kids important lessons early on.

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I hope you find the information from this site useful

Warm regards

Eric

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