Friday, April 27, 2007

Drunken children?

As news breaks today that Alcohol Concern is, well, concerned about children drinking at home, I wonder if it's the right attitude.
I grew up in a social club. I was completely surrounded by alcohol from birth, and before (my mother worked behind the bar while she was pregnant). So I was alowed to drink a little from an early age. However, I rarely drank alcohol because I didn't like the taste. But I knew that my parents would allow me to have some of their wine, or a bottle of beer perhaps, if I wanted. I got cramp in my sleep badly when I was sixteen while on holiday, and my dad mixed me a gin and tonic for the quinine the next day. It was hot and it was a refreshing drink. My parents never encouraged me to drink as such, but they didn't attempt to stop me.
I only started drinking in any quantity when I was with my first boyfriend, and his parents were heavy drinkers. Unfortunately his parents drank like they were in university still, i.e. regularly during the week, and very heavily at raucous parties with their huge group of friends most weekends. Their son grew up thinking getting drunk was fun and clever, rather than accepting it as a small part of life.
I was always more restrained with alcohol than my peers. I always was the one looking out for others. Ok, so I'm a control freak and the eldest child, but still. It wasn't until this university year, while I dealt with the break-up of my longest relationship, that I made a few mistakes with alcohol. A couple of times since October I drank so much I was sick. I lost my phone and all my friends one night. That scared the life out of me, and my friends who were away from me, as they knew it wasn't my style. However, I moved on, and think that compared to how some people deal with things in life, I did it in relative safety. I didn't have a huge binge of one-night stands. I didn't take any recreational drugs. I didn't shut out my friends.
I don't think my parents did a bad job by allowing me to have alcohol. Dai's parents often have a bottle of wine, shared by the whole family (apart from his sister who doesn't like the taste) but if they don't want it, they say no. Often I don't feel like drinking, so I don't. I think part of our drinking culture is that we can't say no, and I'm not sure why. I always question whether I really want a drink, and rarely ever drink if I'm feeling depressed. I never drink even a sip if I know I may have to drive.
I hope they don't ban children from being able to experience alcohol in a healthy environment like a responsible family home. I'd like to bring up my (hypothetical)children with alcohol as something to drink with food, allowing them to have heavily diluted wine as is common in France, in the hope that they won't see it as big or clever when they grow up. I also really hate adults being drunk in front of children, as I saw supposedly responsible adults drunk and out of control as a child at a friend's birthday party, and it was quite scary for me.
What does worry me is irresponsible families who abuse alcohol passing it on to their offspring. How we can control that, I'm not sure. I don't believe that legislation to make drinking at home illegal would help those children with irresponsible parents.
We do need to change our drinking culture. But clearly, making something illegal doesn't make it impossible. I think restricting children's access to alcohol would only provide a greater novelty once they became of age, creating a greater problem than that we already face.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

April update...

I have news. I got a place on the Postgraduate Diloma in Magazine journalism course! I was very, very suprised. I got out of my interview and fell ill almost immediately, and I knew I hadn't done terribly well on at least the current affairs quiz. I was enthusiastic though, but I made a terrible joke...when I was going off on one about the new form of media, and how I wanted to be part of it, I mentioned that I was sure everyone was really excited about it..and the interviewer said 'Oh, you'd be suprised...people seem to think they're Canute or someone, but you can't stop it!' To which I replied, 'No, you can't stop the digital tide!'
It wasn't as bad as it sounds...but I can't believe they let me in after I said that cheesey phrase.
So now I need to get the money together. But at least, if I can, I'm on the course! It would have knocked my confidence very badly if I had been refused.
All the people from the Waterfront and Front who went for the magazine course have either got in or been put on the reserve list, which is great!
I stayed with Dai and his family for the interview, it was lovely, just staying there, working on my dissertation and spending time with them. We went back to Swansea for a few days then came down to Plymouth, where I've been trying to get some work done. Today I've managed to do a bit, and I'll be working in the pub a bit later. I've been given approximately a ton of chocolate and some wine for Easter, and Bethan's mum sent me down an Easter egg hunt game, which is really cool!
And it's my birthday soon. I've already had some gorgeous presents, and I'm going to have a quiet one this year as Dad's going into hospital. But that's ok. I'll be down for a bit, then heading back up to Swansea. Must get back to work now. Happy Easter!