What's a reasonable amount of alcohol?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

16yo ds told me that he drank 3 cans of Strongbow over the course of about 3h last night at a friend's house.

This seems excessive to me, but not being much of a drinker myself, I don't really know. I'm very much of the 'alcohol is to be savoured' school.

Is it excessive? Should I do something about it?

[ninenicknames]

Hugely! I would've died at that age drinking that ....

But I'm a prude when it comes to young teenagers drinking.

[MrsDoylesTeabags]

My 16 to would be drunk on three cans. I think dead is a bit extreme but he would be messy, althoug having said that IME if he says it's 3 cans of cider then you can probably add another can and some spirits too.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

That's worrying.

[saltandvinegarcrisps1]

Judging on what I've seen its not a lot. DDs Facebook is full of photos of parties and you can see bottles of Smirnoff, mad dog, tonic wine etc. In one they even had a load of Smirnoff glasses, straws, party poppers etc! Its another one of theses things with DD (16) I am not entirely happy with but feel powerless to stop.

[VioletPeggs]

Not a lot ime, the teens here drink as much they can until are sick. No idea how that's fun but there you go.

[kel1493]

Oh god I was drinking way more than that from a lot younger.
I had my 1st drop of wine topped up with lemonade at 8, on Christmas Day with dinner. As I gold older- 12/13/14 I'd have spirits with mixer at home. Also wine on special occasions. When I was around 16 if drink WKD/ Smirnoff ice/ Bacardi breezers. I could easily drink a fair few and not feel any effect at all though. I'd also drink wine and spirits.
Though my tolerance is very high.
I've always said I'd prefer my children to drink in front of me, so I know how much they're having and where it's from- to make sure it's decent proper stuff. I wouldn't mind my teenager of that age having that. I had a lot more a lot younger as I said. I believe if there taught to appreciate alcohol for what it is and are allowed to try, they won't feel the need to go mad on it without knowing their tolerance levels when they get to 18.
(And I know I'll be flamed for that but still)

[BertieBotts]

I don't think that's a lot. He should be careful of how much he's drinking because teens are still developing and alcohol will affect them much faster than older people, so it's possible to feel fine, drink more and then have it all hit you at once but this is much less likely to happen with beer, cider or wine than it is with spirits.

Get him to have a read of the Wikipedia article on blood alcohol content, mainly the bit about the effects of different BAC levels and how many drinks it can take someone to get there. Having an awareness of how much alcohol can affect people differently will also help him keep an eye on his friends who might not be as reserved.

It's very overdramatic to say he'd be dead! Maybe if he was a tiny 13 year old downing shots. Not so much at 16, being male, over 3 hours.

It sounds like he is pacing himself and sticking to weaker drinks which is a good thing. Though I appreciate as someone else says he may be toning it down for you!

I think I drank a pint of beer, a bottle of red wine and some vodka the first time I got drunk at 16 I was absolutely tiny and I didn't die or even make myself sick. Just slept it off.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

I'd be happier with 2 ciders at that age - that's what we allowed our 16 and 15 year olds at Christmas and New Year. I wouldn't be devastated with them having 3 but I'd tell them 2 was plenty in the hope they didn't really go much above 3.

From what I hear, it tends to be the girls that go more overboard than the boys but I have no direct experience.

[meditrina]

Depending on the size of the can, that's 1.8-2.5 units per can, so between 5.4 and 7.5 units in 3 hours.

Yes, that's a lot.

Any particular reason he drank that much? One-off? Mistake, but one he'll learn from? Or a pattern of socialising that is going to involve this much drinking every time?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Half-a-dozen Y11s holding an all-night Monopoly-geek. He's not very big: 5'9" and skinny. We talk. Sometimes he's the silent, sullen teen, but I think he understands that I'm on his side and watching out for him rather than trying to control him. I hope.

He's got GCSEs looming, and he has worked so hard so far.

[AuntieStella]

An awful lot of older teens learn about alcohol by trial and error (whatever the home attitude).

I can think of far worse places for that to happen than a Monopoly all-nighter.

[PinkHeart59156816]

To m that isn't a lot and at the age I certainly drunk more on many occasions.

I am assuming he doesn't go out to friends houses every night and drink while playing games so as an occasional thing imo it's fine

[BertieBotts]

YY Stella. If he wasn't alarmed by his own drunkenness or throwing up or hung over, then he's probably okay. He will push it too far at some point, and find out how that feels.

[GiraffeorOcelot]

I don't think that's too bad to be honest.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

I showed ds the Wikipedia article. He said that they had been reading it at the sleepover (geeks!) and trying to work out what their blood alcohol ratios would be. Trying, but struggling with the maths. These are all top set mathematicians.

I looked at him "...and?"
He grinned awkwardly, ducked his head "Errr, yeah, I get it."

[PaperdollCartoon]

No it's not much at all, but at 16 I was drinking 3 litres of cider, or neat vodka, as was everyone I knew, so maybe my view is a bit skewed.
It's a low alcohol drink, 3 cans over the course of an evening on occasion isn't anything I'd worry about.

[PinkOnWednesday]

When I was 16 (not long ago), I didn't tend to drink socially but I'd have maybe one drink with family, but the first time I got properly drunk with friends it was on a lot of vodka as well as cider/wine, so I wouldn't class 3 ciders as a lot over that time but as an older teen now I know my limits a bit but for example I'd drink one and a half bottles of wine (fairly low alcohol as the fruity stuff say 10%) and be fairly drunk (as a girl) but obviously that is a still a couple of years older than your son and at this age that makes a big difference, but tbh I'd just be glad he's honest with you about drinking (I wasn't) and I'd be surprised if he was more than tipsy over than time.