Why it is not okay for under 18's to drink #SAB18Plus AND win an experience voucher with your teen

The South African Breweries (SAB) launched a new responsible drinking campaign called 18+

I am one of the parents that think it is okay to sometimes pour a little bit of the wine for the teens as well. As teen growing up we always thought it was gross, and my Teen also did not like the taste of wine. Maybe we were just lucky?

Apparently it is not a good idea!
Parenting fail! (*insert red face*)


Why it is not okay!

No one under 18 should be drinking alcohol and it is up to us to stop our denial about the situation and do something about it.

• 1 in 2 teenagers in the average South African home is a user of alcohol.

• Yet the vast majority of parents think their teenagers don’t drink

• Around 15% of boys and 8% of girls said that they’d had their first drink before age 13

• People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who have their first drink at age 20 or older

• Teens that use alcohol are three times more likely to be involved in violent crime

• 67% of teens who drink before the age of 15 will go on to use illegal drugs

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) stated in a 2010 publication that most studies show the benefits from allowing children to drink in the home or controlled environment are non-existent. In the same report, NIAAA cites a 1997 article from the Journal of Substance Abuse that says that starting to drink earlier increases the chances of developing alcohol problems.

We need to start the conversation amongst South Africans, raising the following points:

• It is not okay to give your teenager a drink so you can “control it” 

• It is not okay to send your child to the local tavern to get alcohol for you;

• It is not okay to take your child to a pub with you;

• It’s not okay to do nothing when you see teenagers drinking; and

• It’s not okay for alcohol to be a taboo subject that we don’t discuss with our children.

One reader of this blog can win an experience voucher with your teen to use anywhere in South Africa and you have a choice of over 200 activities. Valued at R500!

The purpose of the voucher is for you and a teenager to do something you love together. While you are bonding, this is a good time to open the channels of communication and discuss underage drinking with them.

1. Please leave me a comment about what you think about underage drinking?

2. Copy and tweet the following to get another chance to win this experience.

Why it is not okay for under 18's to drink @SABreweries & Win an experience with your teen via @karentoittoit #SAB18Plus http://bit.ly/1ADJAzv

I will notify the winner next Friday 8 August at 9am.


Twitter: @SABreweries and #SAB18Plus
To add a 18+ Twibbon to your Facebook / Twitter profile: http://twibbon.com/Support/sab18plus

For the latest 18+ news, follow on:
http://www.sabstories.co.za/alcohol-issues/sab18plus/ 


Photos: The two 18+ ambassadors: Melanie Bala and Robert Marawa