by David Chaproniere

Created on: December 30, 2008

There is one thing that children love to do, and that is to go against anything that their parents stop them from doing. The banned item or substance can become a magnet to them, something fascinating that should be pursued.

Naturally there are some things we really do not want our children to try, such as hard drugs. However, these are generally illegal substances over which, with good education and information, a child can make an informed decision when confronted with them - and hopefully to stay away from them.

In most countries, alcohol is not a banned substance. Indeed, it is very much a part of everyday life. In much of Europe, wine is the natural drink of choice served with a main meal - even with the most basic of dishes. Many people in Britain over recent years have begun to enjoy a glass or two of wine most evenings with dinner. To exclude children from enjoying just the smallest of tipples, and to make an issue out of drinking alcohol as a purely "adult" pastime, certainly can make alcohol far more enticing to a child than it should be.

I am certainly not suggesting that children should be allowed to drink to the same level as adults. Far from it: but there is nothing wrong in allowing a child to take a sip of your beer, wine or other alcoholic drink, or to have a drink with some alcohol included such as a small drop of wine heavily diluted with, say, lemonade.

When I was a child, it was certainly not an issue in my family that I drank or sipped small quantities of alcohol. My step-grandfather was partial to stout, and I would sometimes ask if I could have a sip of his "brown milk" as I called it. He would happily oblige and allow me a little drop of it. At parties, the children would drink snowballs (advocat with lemonade and lime), lager shandy or Cinzanno/Martini and lemonade. I was introduced to wine at around the age of 13, to Scotch around age 14. Brandy- or rum-soaked Christmas pudding and rich fruit cakes were allowed throughout my childhood, and I have learned to love those flavours immensely.

So, at age 43, having had all that booze as a child, I must obviously be a total lush, a red-nosed alcoholic? Absolutely not! I might have had my drunken moments at parties and get-togethers like many people, but those times are exceptional, not usual. Have I gone onto other substances, such as marijuana and harder drugs? Well, not quite. Again like many people, I have tried dope, even rather enjoyed it, but I did not become hooked on it. And hard drugs

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