Con pan y vino se anda el camino
'Prosecute parents who let children drink' | Uk News | News | Telegraph
Parents who give alcohol to children under the age of 15 - even with a meal at home - should face prosecution, a charity says today.
An Alcohol Concern spokesman said: "It is legal to provide children as young as five with alcohol in a private home. Raising the age limit to 15 would send a stronger message to parents of the risks associated with letting very young people consume alcohol." It is illegal to buy a drink in a pub under 18, but a 16- or 17-year-old can drink wine or beer if having a meal with parents.
It is a parent's duty and right to introduce their children to the joys and dangers of drink. It is one of the few europhile sentiments I agree with that we ought to be more like the continental cafe culture and gently introduce children to a glass of wine at a meal.
I remember my eleven year old shocking the owner of Juicy Lucy's Steakhouse and Grill in Colorado when, knowing he had been skiing in France previously, she asked was there anything he missed about France compared to the USA - " a glass of wine with my meal" was his answer. I think I was looked at as though I was a child abuser from that moment on.