I know: my first child is not even born and I'm already talking about alcohol use under young kids. The reason is a documentary I saw a few days ago. It was about that topic. The reason for picking this topic were the results of a European survey. One conclusion was that Dutch kids statistically drank the most alcohol per person in Europe.

The journalists tried to make a connection between that survey and the liberal idea of the Dutch toward alcohol. There is a believe that if you introduce alcohol to kids at a relative young age (in this documentary "young" means 12 and up), they'll learn how to handle it earlier. Another argument is that if you won't permit that, they'll find ways to drink anyway. And I must say: it seems to make some sense. Right?

Well, a scientist in the documentary said that the statistics prove otherwise. Children that are introduced to alcohol at a young age and have the relative freedom to set their own limits, have a higher chance of alcohol misuse further in life. On top of that, the documentary suggested that alcohol is more damaging to a young brain than an older one, because parts of the brain of a youngster are still in development. The hippocampus would even grow and develop until the 24th year.

Although you can't buy beer until you're 16 in The Netherlands, there are of course countless ways to dodge the law. But the journalists wanted to show one specific way: drinking in a "keet". A "keet" is a shed being used as an improvised bar on a farm or something like that. It is run by the parents and their kids.

"Keten" are popular on the countryside in The Netherlands because it's sometimes the only way to go out for the kids. One of the 2 improvised bars the journalists visited was the Nova Zembar (great name!). The beer for the bar is bought by their parents. They buy lots of it in the supermarket when it's for sale.

Of course the children were asked how much they drank. The estimates began with 5 bottles. If they ever cared to count.

And what do I think of it? I don't know, but I do know I'm always sensitive for statistics. So if abolishing alcohol until the age of 16 is better, than I might just opt that.

I once read about someone who, as a boy, wanted to try some beer. His mother permitted that under the condition that he drank not one but about 5 cans. You can imagine that he got really sick. He never drank again. I don't think that I'm going to try that one, but it sure is a funny story :)

Labels: alcohol, teens