Effect of visibility of alcohol on children

[thisonehasalittlecar]

I just caught an item about this in the radio and it chimed with something I've been thinking about for a while:
www.scotsman.com/health/members-of-children-s-parliament-want-alcohol-to-be-made-less-visible-1-5006942

The Scottish government are concerned that the high visibility of alcohol is having a negative impact on children's lives. They questioned children about advertising and portrayal of alcohol etc but I think they've ignored a major trend that goes beyond the drinks industry itself, which is the way we're now associating alcohol with unrelated stuff. The Christmas crap is already sneaking into shops and alcohol gift sets aside, you're hard pressed to find a cosmetic bag, bubble bath or pair of pyjamas that isn't extolling the virtues of prosecco or gin (beer in the gents' case of course). Asda sell a teapot that says "warning: may contain gin" on it ffs. It's been like this for a year or two now and in some ways it's no different to everything in the shops suddenly being emblazoned with unicorns or pugs or doughnuts or whatever until the next trend comes along. But I think it's more damaging, particularly to kids, precisely because it's lumping booze in with unicorns and pugs and doughnuts.

And friends, I think we have to take some of the blame for this. Last mother's Day my 12 yo DD bought me a prosecco-themed gift set (it didn't have prosecco in it obvs!) and she was so pleased with herself because of course it was the perfect present for me, and I just wanted to weep. Because she regularly hears talking about prosecco, and gin, and cocktails with my friends, and she's picked up on the tone of fun and excitement of these conversations even if she doesn't see me actually see me drinking it that often. We seem to have adopted booze as a kind of identity marker that needs to be flagged beyond just drinking and enjoying it so it's not surprising that kids have picked up on it. My worry is that this will only add to the existing pressure on them to start drinking as they get older.

The Scottish government are discussing ways to reduce the visibility of alcohol itself but there's not much they can do about supermarkets and pound shops selling 5000 bits of tat proclaiming the bearer's love of gin. So it's really up to us to watch the our language and attitude to booze, particularly around children. And not to buy tote bags that say fucking prosecco on them.

I completely agree.

I do worry about this.
My children are exposed to the images of alcohol more than most.
Both my husband and I work in bars and my children are aware of that (or the eldest is).
He knows what happens. He knows what the products are and he's been with us when we socialise with all of our friends in their venues.

No I get this. We live in a weird world I think.
Try and buy an adult birthday card without a reference to booze.
“Is it wine o’clock yet”
“I’ve got a large glass of red waiting for me after the day I’ve had”

All perfectly acceptable things to say. Yet it costs society a fortune in nhs costs, police costs, lost work hours for hang overs. It goes on and on.

I genuinely believe if alcohol was discovered today it would be banned due to the behaviour altering and inhibitions lost.

I completely agree, but it's also worth calling out alcohol brands for their insidious promotion of gin and prosecco to women. Whisky is on the way too as the gin brands' whisky becomes ready (most of the indie Scottish gin brands are actually whisky distillers selling gin and building brand awareness as they wait for their whisky to mature) - the traditional whisky brands are now gearing up for a huge onslaught on women's cash, see Johnny Walker for an example.

I work in food and drink and honest to god, if I've not got a gin in one hand and a prosecco in another, am I really a woman? The marketing push is enormous- huge budgets unashamedly targeted towards women. Makers of things like gift bags are really just jumping on the coat-tails of big booze...

ScotGov also a teeny bit hypocritical on this as they are firmly behind things like Scottish gin exports.

Looks like the Temperance movement is out in force today. Cherry picked shite claiming drink related deaths fell post MUP yet they only focused on one Scottish region which bucked the national trend and now the spooky Children's Parliament.
Just the other day, with nary a prohibitionist in sight there's evidence that youth are foregoing alcohol www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4yLspprK2QltqFwCQddX3Rp/the-students-calling-time-on-fresher-s-week-drinking .

I told my family never ever to buy me a gin or prosecco card. Don't mind the odd gin, prosecco is the devil's saliva.

The Scottish government are discussing ways to reduce the visibility of alcohol itself but there's not much they can do about supermarkets and pound shops selling 5000 bits of tat proclaiming the bearer's love of gin.

Listening to a discussion about this today, SG are looking at how they can shape policy and education.

It might well be that can include something to reduce that kind of thing.

The amount of alcohol given by children to teaches is astonishing!

contraception I see your concern but perhaps they are seeing alcohol as having a time and place rather than being a sort of global lifestyle choice.

I totally agree but it must therefore be applied to all health concerns - should we allow them to be exposed to frivolous items that could therefore promote obesity, as you mention items emblazoned with doughnuts and fast food are readily available for children yet obesity is the highest drain on our health service and linked to a multitude of chronic diseases and cancer.

And friends, I think we have to take some of the blame for this.

Speak for yourself, no one here is your 'friend' unless you know them personally in life. Don't buy the stuff if you don't like it.

The Scottish government is completely hypocritical because they're more than happy to pump millions into supporting the alcohol industry, given that it's one of their biggest exports.

I don't drink at all because it doesn't agree with my digestion, but if others chose to it is their business. If people go on buying gin and prosecco tatt, it will keep being produced. Plenty of people I know who drink wouldn't consider buying that stuff because they consider it tacky.

People have been making alcohol and drinking it since they learned how to make it and realised you don't get water-born illness from drinking it. It's not going anywhere.

Shame yourself away for drinking it, but don't claim to speak for everyone else.

Looks like the Temperance movement is out in force today.

This. People love to demonise and shame things as it makes them feel more morally superior to others. It's tedious in the extreme.

Lonny that's interesting as a lot of these new gins are definitely marketed as if they are quirky little startups.

but it's also worth calling out alcohol brands for their insidious promotion of gin and prosecco to women.

Why? It's marketing, they're there to sell as much product as possible to increase profits. That's what it's about. Capitalism. People who are adults and can chose not to buy it, they have a choice.

time it was a royal we because certainly I've been guilty of feeding into it, but I can't be the only one or the shops wouldn't be full of the stuff.

I am in no way against alcohol and a balanced enjoyment of it. However my father was an alcoholic and trying to find a fathers day card or a Dad's birthday card that doesnt extoll the virtues of having a beer actually becomes frustrating. I can see how kids come to expect that the next step after childhood is to drink, and while for many this is the case, it doesnt have to be

@thisonehasalittlecar but the problem is that companies (like the one we work for) constantly drive alcohol as being a part of every aspect of life.

Bottomless brunch, Gin of the month, burger and beer.

Plus this is pointless. If they really want to make a difference they need to go after people like Diageo, Jäger and Redbull.

The amount of money they pay business to promote their products is astronomical.

And yes, Scotland heavily reliant on drinks industry financially.

@timshelthechoice

Thanks for explaining how marketing works, that's super-helpful. Adults have choices. The OP was talking about the promotion of alcohol to children and young people, which forms contexts in their minds long before they are legally able to choose to buy alcohol or not. I think that's worth discussing - as well as the way marketing has changed tack to focus predominantly on British women.

Crikey, I'm a bit of a lush but people don't half get defensive when you try to unpick some of it.

I agree.
also the thoughtless giving alkoholic drinks as gifts.
when we last moved house we were given 4! bottles if wine. from previous owner, estate agent, solicitor, mortgage co)

I work in marketing. I know how it works thank you.

I've been thinking about this lately and I'm inclined to agree too. Last weekend I had an afternoon out with some friends for my birthday and we had a few cocktails. I rarely drink out of the house (but DH and I will share a bottle of wine on a Friday and Saturday night, openly having our first glass while DD is watching tv with us early evening ) except if we're on holiday so I was quite excited. I'm ashamed to say I was a bit drunk when I got home although it was quite early (mixing cocktails and prosecco, stupid) so DD 10 did see me - however she also saw me the next day feeling like crap. Not my finest parenting hour.

Not excusing at all being drunk in front of her but at least the morning after allowed her to see the flip side of being an idiot.

But I am definitely more aware of the messages it gives her. How to strike the balance so it's not a taboo sending her to the park getting pissed on 20/20 in a few years

I know, I love a drink! But I'm disturbed at the idea of my dcs thinking it's my 'thing.'

I'm more concerned with the Scottish "government" restricting yet another freedom.