Portman Group backs parental choice on alcohol
The Portman Group is making the case for encouraging giving children small amounts of alcohol at home to avoid binge-drinking. This follows Alcohol Concern’s call for parents who give alcohol to children under the age of 15, even with a meal at home, to be prosecuted.
Charity Alcohol Concern call follows research which concludes that girls aged 11 to 13 are drinking 83% more alcohol than six years ago.
In a response statement to Alcohol Concern, Portman Group chief executive David Poley says: “There is a case for raising the drinking age at home from five but 15 seems too high. On the Continent, parents give children small amounts of alcohol at home with meals in a controlled way so they get used to drinking in moderation. They don’t suffer from binge drinking issues.
“Alcohol Concern’s proposal wouldn’t get to the root of the problem with is children drinking unsupervised, in parks for example. It should be left to parents to decide when to allow their children to drink. Saying no to children will only increase the appeal of alcohol and could create even more problems.”
The Portman Group is a principal provider of responsible drinking advice in the UK and it also encourages responsible marketing practices through its Code of Practice.
