A wee tipple DOES do our kids harm
Christmas dinner booze warning
ONE in six children are allowed to drink alcohol by the age of 14, a study has found.
But with Christmas approaching – a time when many children are allowed a glass of wine with their meal – scientists have warned there is no evidence that supervised boozing protects them against harmful drinking in later life.
The research showed well-educated parents of white children were more likely to allow their kids to have a tipple than those who were jobless or had lower qualifications.
And heavy drinkers were no more likely to let their children drink alcohol than light or moderate drinkers.
Parents who abstained from alcohol tended not to allow their children to drink.
The study by University College London and Pennsylvania State University warned that those who start drinking early are more likely to fail at school and have behaviour issues, as well as alcohol and substance problems in adulthood.
The results were based on new findings from the Millennium Cohort Study involving 19,517 children born in the UK at the turn of the new century.
Lead author Prof Jennifer Maggs said: “Parents of socially advantaged children may believe that allowing children to drink will teach them responsible use or may in fact inoculate them against dangerous drinking.
“However, there is little research to support these ideas.”
Katherine Brown of the Institute of Alcohol Studies added: “The chief medical officer recommends that an alcohol-free childhood is best, with children not drinking any alcohol before the age of 15.
“It is worrying this advice may not be getting across to parents, who are trying to do their best to teach their children about alcohol.”