It's an ongoing conversation: do children and alcohol mix? There are those who think it's irresponsible to let children even witness adults drinking and there others who think it is fine to pour youngsters measured amounts of alcohol.
Reader comments on Is faux beer for kids okay? revealed that some parents believe letting children have a sip of beer will teach them to drink socially and responsibly. Some readers also promoted the idea that giving a small glass of wine to children at dinnertime encourages a healthy attitude towards alcohol consumption.
It's possible that up to three adults considered it was acceptable to give cans of alcohol to the nine-year-old who was filmed stumbling about and slurring in a Hamilton skate-park. It's been reported that charges of "supplying alcohol to a minor" were laid following this incident. Having consumed the premixed bourbon and cola, the little boy reportedly spent the rest of the day vomiting and narrowly escaped hospitalisation.
Evidently, it is routine for alcohol to be consumed by older school students at certain social gatherings. In 2011 alcohol was available at a "pre-ball party" held at the home of a "prominent businessman". Apparently, "beer, wine and champagne ... [were] served to about 100 people, including [school] students".
Since then, laws around teen drinking have tightened. While parents are permitted to supply their own children with alcohol, they now need "express consent" to give it to other "under-18s". Parents hosting teenage functions these days typically rely on text messages from fellow parents to determine who may and may not drink at their home.
