Alcohol.

[geoffrey]

Re: Alcohol.

The children in this case were all aged 16 & 17. The leaders were not teachers but church-based professional youth leaders. The situation happened when they were entertained by their guests, another church-based youth group and the wine was simply there with the dinners as normal. The leaders had not considered this in advance as they were not expecting it but when suddenly confronted by the situation they considered it would be silly to suddenly ban the English kids from participating but told them they must not refill their small glasses.

The two senior leaders visited the parent concerned and explained the situation and she has withdrawn her complaint. It seems that her child did not explain either the situation or the very small amount of wine.


When foreign youth groups visit the UK we expect them to abide by UK laws and not the laws of their m homeland and we tend to forget that.

[Wombats]

Re: Alcohol.

The two senior leaders visited the parent concerned and explained the situation and she has withdrawn her complaint. It seems that her child did not explain either the situation or the very small amount of wine.

It's good to see common sense prevailed.

When foreign youth groups visit the UK we expect them to abide by UK laws and not the laws of their homeland and we tend to forget that.

That's a massive generalisation. Actually I think very few forget it, though I'm not sure entirely what you are trying to say.

If you are implying that we should expect the same for our children when they go abroad with Church groups or other groups, then I think you may well be wrong. The H&S of trips over the past decade or so has increased dramatically, in a large part for the better. Leaders of trips tend to be much better informed now than they have ever been previously.

[geoffrey]

Re: Alcohol.

I have just received a comment from the head of a youth leaders training programme.

He says that in their risk assessment the leaders should have considered the situation if, for example, they were to visit a vineyard and then get the parents permission. However, he adds that professional youth leaders act 'in loco parentis' (as a parent) when they take children away and should always be ready to make decisions in the case of something unexpected arising, as in this case. However, in doing this they should never break the law of the land in which they are in. He considered that as the glasses were small and the leaders stopped them re-filling them they acted 'as a parent would' and very responsibly.

In describing things to others, children can something exaggerate things. It appears that this was reported as 'They let us drink real booze'. When a boy returning from a continental trip told his parents that 'They took us to this nudist colony' it was a cause for concern until it was clarified that all that happened was they saw some 'topless ladies' and bare tiny tots on a busy continental 'town' beach where such was very common.

[Rg59]

Re: Alcohol.

:beagle2222:

[nemesis45]

Re: Alcohol.

Ahhh maybe it used to be 14, or maybe I've just lived under that misapprehension since I was 14 lol.

Used to apply to cider at one time.

[Kati]

Re: Alcohol.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/englan...nd_smoking.htm

The law on the age at which you can drink alcohol is complicated. Before the age of 18, you are not allowed to buy alcohol in pubs or shops, drink alcohol in pubs or outside in public places. It is also unlawful for anyone else to buy alcohol for you if you are under 18 and the drink will be consumed in a pub or public place. However, if you're aged 16 or 17, you are allowed to drink wine, beer, or cider (but not other alcohol) with a meal in a restaurant, hotel or part of a pub set apart for eating meals. You can only do this if someone aged 18 or over is with you at the meal and buys the alcohol.
Any child aged five or over can drink alcohol at home or on other private premises but it is usually against the law to give alcohol to a child under five.

mind you ... I was drinking in the pubs at 14/15 after we moved house. They knew I was 'teenage' but not how old

[wales01man]

Re: Alcohol.

I think most of us oldies went into pubs drinking alcohol at 14 and 15

[des8]

Re: Alcohol.

I think most of us oldies went into pubs drinking alcohol at 14 and 15

You were quite a late starter then!

[wales01man]

Re: Alcohol.

Some of us were a Bit more more law abiding than others! Only a bit though