Devon's teens drinking more and more

By Richard_Penny | Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 14:07

A recent report shows that the number of children committing drink-related crime in the Westcountry has doubled in four years.

This comes in the wake of a proposal from England's chief medical officer that parents should not give any alcohol at all to under fifteens - a proposal that brought about a debate on the rights and wrongs of letting children drink at home.

Those against a total ban cite the 'French experience', where children - from a very early age - are given watered-down wine, the theory being that it encourages responsible drinking later in life.

However, a few minutes spent observing the entrance to Okehampton's Simmons Park any evening will reveal children as young as 10 clutching bottles and cans as they make their way into the park. The resulting noise and mess seems to be ignored by the police - and, presumably, the childrens' parents.

What are your experiences of kids and alcohol around the town? Post you comments below.

For the full report on Westcountry teenage drinking, see The Western Morning News.

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Comments

There's nothing else to do without going to exeter or plymouth and that costs money of which there is none because there are no jobs. Overpriced commercial properties = lots of empty shops = less businesses = less jobs. Unemployment rockets on as Okehampton council says yes to endless new residential projects but what do they expect the young residents to do with their time? The parents are not to blame, neither is the way they were "brought up". There is no self worth here and they will just fill that hole with alcohol because it's easy.

By JakeX at 17:00 on 11/03/10
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I totally agree Richard, if we accept that alcohol is part of our culture perhaps parents could do more to promote responsible drinking, but of course they would have to demonstrate it as well.

By BBWolfe at 10:33 on 30/12/09
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Perhaps if these Okehampton kids had been brought up the 'French' way, they'd see drinking as part of everyday family life, and not something exciting/rebellious to do with their mates on the streets.

By Richard_Penny at 15:03 on 29/12/09
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Richard, Simmons Park is not in France so what is your point?

By BBWolfe at 14:51 on 29/12/09
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