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Safe Grad Parties

I did find this report of a study, but its not all that convincing to me. Its retrospective, so the correlation may not imply causation. It doesn't look at whether alcohol was controlled responisibly by the parents, but just at what age people first tasted alcohol. My friends who were not allowed alcohol at home mostly tried it before the age of 15 too, but it was in a completely different environment (sneaking into pubs, getting older friends to buy alcohol for them etc) - so it was still a taboo.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/He...o-Drink-Later-In-Life/Article/200809415109285

ETA Of course most people my age and older would have had their first taste of alcohol as babies... before they took the alcohol out of gripe water.
 
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Well, there is an 'alcoholism gene', to do with liver enzymes and alcohol metabolization. Quite a strong relation to alcoholism, I guess. So a decent study would also need to control for that gene.

No such study means no scientific basis for this whole discussion?
 
Given the dearth of direct evidence, I base my approach on the fact that countries which do introduce their children to alcohol at a young age, in a responsible manner, don't seem to have the binge drinking problem that we have in the UK.
 
SezMe said:
How exactly is allowing a kid to drink TEN alcoholic drinks (whatever that means in terms of actual alcohol consumption) responsible?
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Skipping responsible part, if police raid the party in, I believe, any state in the US and there were people under 18 drinking (in some states, just present IIRC) arrests will be made and jail time very likely to be involved. I do not personally think that should automatically happen, but I understand why it will: none of the states exempt reasonable, responsible parents of reasonable/responsible children from the drinking laws while letting the law only cover lazy, irresponsible parents/child drinkers.:):jaw-dropp
 
KingMerv00 said:
No way! Alien space ale would far more advanced than our puny human beer.
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It will also be blue!

Seriously though, drinking alcohol to feel good is perfectly logical. It is really no different than recreational sex or riding a roller coaster. Hedonism has been around longer than humanity.
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Well, does alcohol make one feel good? From what I know, it makes people dizzy, slurry, uninhibited, slow response time, etc. at low levels. The social aspect is just placebo.

It seems nothing like sex or roller coasters to me.
 
I would think it would be risky for the parents giving the party (unless the parents of all the kids were in attendance.) All it takes is one parent to probe why their child is so under the weather the next day, find out they were illegally served alcohol, and the partygivers are screwed.
 
Wow. Ten drinks.

My limit is about three before I get silly and fall over...
 
There are really two questions here.
1) Will kids more responsibly handle alcohol if parents allow them to drink at younger ages under supervision.
2) Are these parties in particular a responsible way to do so.

I'd say that as posted, many countries seem to show that the answer to #1 is yes. But I'm not so sure about #2. For the specifics of 10 drinks here, 10 drinks contain approximately the same amount of alcohol whether it's 10 shots (15 oz), 10 bottles of beer (120oz), or 10 glasses of wine(50oz). Mixed drinks can have multiple shots, glasses of wine tend to get filled taller than the standard 5oz at a party, and many beers have a higher than average alcohol %.

Yes, a beefy football player who's chowing down on barbecue can probably have more than 10 drinks over the course of the night without getting really drunk. But what about a 15yo girl who weighs 100lbs even and doesn't eat much? Is every individual going to have a separate limit? How about if some of them started drinking before the party?

There are some clear positives, the parents present can watch everyone leave and make sure every kid has a sober ride home. But in general it seems that cultures where kids learn to drink responsibly don't just break out the booze for parties. They have their glass of wine at dinner, they teach by example a context where alcohol isn't a party drug.
 
Professor Yaffle said:
Given the dearth of direct evidence, I base my approach on the fact that countries which do introduce their children to alcohol at a young age, in a responsible manner, don't seem to have the binge drinking problem that we have in the UK.
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I seem to recall reading that France is beginning to see English-style binge drinking problems among their young people. Sorry that I can't recall where I saw that.


I don't have a problem with others drinking alcohol, but I see so many people act like total jackasses when they drink that I feel that there needs to be a change of attitude with regards to booze. For lots of people I know (yes, that's very scientific, I realise), getting drunk is something you do every weekend and holiday. It's just a part of your schedule, and buying alcohol is just something you budget for, even if you're broke. I cannot understand this mindset.
 
Here in California we have what's called Sober Grad. It's sponsored by the California Highway Patrol and is an all night party put on by volunteers (my dad was a volunteer at it for 12 years) where there is no alcohol at all. I can't speak for everywhere but at my high school it was very successful and popular. Everyone went to it instead of their own parties.


As to the issue of responsible drinking...I can't really comment as I never drank alcohol until I was 24 years old and then didn't like it at all.
 
Yes, here it's called chem-free grad. Now, I didn't go to my graduation (I went to work instead), but I was told that the people who went to the chem-free grad party just went to the lake or to various bush parties after it was over and stayed drunk for the rest of the weekend.
 
Tsukasa Buddha said:
Well, does alcohol make one feel good? From what I know, it makes people dizzy, slurry, uninhibited, slow response time, etc. at low levels. The social aspect is just placebo.
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According to the NIH:

Molecules known as opioid peptides bind to opioid receptors in the brain to signal experiences of reward and reinforcement, as well as the euphoria and other positive effects produced by alcohol. Previous studies have shown that, among the brain’s various opioid receptors, the mu-subtype is most likely responsible for transmitting alcohol’s positive effects. One variant called 118G has a greatly enhanced ability to bind opioid peptides. Recent studies have linked this variant with alcohol dependence in humans. People who have it also report increased euphoria when they drink alcohol.
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Bolding mine.
 
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Oh my, somebody somewhere might be having some fun!

Wasn't anyone here ever a teenager? Look, binge drinking happens regardless of parents holding parties like this. Do you really think the kids aren't going to drink anyway? At least this way you can try to make sure nobody gets pregnant or drives home hammered.

Seriously, this is one of the minor things to worry about in the world people. Let them drink until they pass out and throw up. Just monitor them and call 911 if anyone is in real trouble. It's called taking responsbility for your own actions. How do you think adults learn not to binge drink? They recognize the consequences (hangover, blackouts etc) because they've had the experience.

Bottom line, they are drinking anyway. This games them a safer environment for an inherently unsafe, but ultimately unstoppable, activity. Let teens be teens, it's their choice.
 
We used (back in the 80s) to have these things called "Blue Light Discos". They were organised and run by police youth clubs and had uniformed officers in attendance. I haven't heard much about them recently. I guess they probably don't happen any more. Shame.

Tsukasa Buddha said:
Well, does alcohol make one feel good? From what I know, it makes people dizzy, slurry, uninhibited, slow response time, etc. at low levels. The social aspect is just placebo.

It seems nothing like sex or roller coasters to me.
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Well, from your response I'm assuming that you do not drink alcohol, and have never been drunk. I'll base my response on that assumption and correct it later if I'm wrong.

Yes, alcohol does make one feel good. It makes one laugh, and get noisy, and have fun. It lowers social inhibitions. Other people are funnier and more interesting. Alcohol is by no means necessary to feel good and have a fun time, but it certainly enables it. I do not believe that this is a placebo effect either. Alcohol certainly does have these effects. The negative side effects of being drunk (such as being violent, getting sick, etc) almost always occur when a person has had too much alcohol. How much is too much varies from person to person.

The violent aspect of drunkenness is worth discussing. I get drunk frequently, but I have never in my life exhibited any tendency to violence. I have been in every conceivable state of drunkenness from tipsy to comatose at some stage in my life, and never once have I taken a swing, or even raised my voice, at anyone. Alcohol, as I mentioned, lowers social inhibitions - including (I believe) the tendency for violently-natured persons to hold back.

I don't believe that alcohol itself is the problem though. I believe that it's alcohol's enabling effect that allows violent tendencies to be expressed. It also enables jerks to try and chat up girls that they clearly have no chance with.
 
arthwollipot said:
We used (back in the 80s) to have these things called "Blue Light Discos". They were organised and run by police youth clubs and had uniformed officers in attendance. I haven't heard much about them recently. I guess they probably don't happen any more. Shame.
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Blue Light Discos still happen, and are very popular, but once kids are over 12 or so the discos start to lose their appeal, so they aren't really like "Safe Grad Parties".
 
I recall when my grandfather was dying he shared a room with a fifteen year old boy whose parents were facing the decision of turning off a respirator because he had aspirated his own vomit while intoxicated and was a vegetable. I know this is rare, but it happens. The thing is, at the party they have some adult supervision, but it's not as if this is the only time they will drink. Once the safe grad is over, it's off to the nearest bush party, where there is no supervision, and you're far from an ambulance if something happens. I remember how proud kids were of their drunkenness when I was young. Every Monday you got to hear all of the wonderful stories about all the fun things they did and all the windows they fell out of. I know some adults who still brag up their latest drunken exploits. No one is ashamed of their foolishness.
 
At some point people have to learn responsibility on their own. I know many of you want to seem to push this of until people are 21 but that simply isn't realistic.

Given the fact that drinking is as dangerous as it is I would personally support the idea of having some of these types of places available all year round, not just for graduation. Unfortunately kids also want to do things like have sex and do other drugs so more than likely they would probably just have private parties anyway.

I ask again though, was nobody here ever a teenager? I used to go to parties all of the time when I was younger (14+). Getting alcohol was never a problem. Plenty of sex occurred as well.

I simply don't see how these parties can be anything but a net positive vs the alternative (which I agree they will do anyway).

Alcohol is just one of many dangers facing young adults btw that immaturity can make more dangerous. Driving is very very dangerous and is something I'm concerned about with the kids, credit cards are evil and easily abused etc. etc.
 
NewtonTrino said:
At some point people have to learn responsibility on their own. I know many of you want to seem to push this of until people are 21 but that simply isn't realistic.

Given the fact that drinking is as dangerous as it is I would personally support the idea of having some of these types of places available all year round, not just for graduation. Unfortunately kids also want to do things like have sex and do other drugs so more than likely they would probably just have private parties anyway.

I ask again though, was nobody here ever a teenager? I used to go to parties all of the time when I was younger (14+). Getting alcohol was never a problem. Plenty of sex occurred as well.

I simply don't see how these parties can be anything but a net positive vs the alternative (which I agree they will do anyway).

Alcohol is just one of many dangers facing young adults btw that immaturity can make more dangerous. Driving is very very dangerous and is something I'm concerned about with the kids, credit cards are evil and easily abused etc. etc.
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As long as you understand that the police can and will arrest unless it is not against the law in Washington. They may not, may not know about it, may look the other way but IF they come....
 
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