Underage drinking

[Infiltrator]

 

Not to mention that the recent culture of "drink to get drunk" was unheard of. You drank to have a spree (and maybe more - if you were lucky!)

 

 

You are kidding aren't you? It's maybe a recent culture in the rest of the country but it's long been a tradition in Shetland. It was certainly the case when I was in my teens/early 20's - if you could remember getting home you were seen as a wimp...

 

Lets not knock this early taste for excessive alcohol - it's todays youngsters that will be helping Mareel stay profitable

[paulb]

i hope your joking. the number of folks up here with drink related illness is shocking. kids drinking is not a joke they are very vulnerable to the damage caused. any child found to be drinking or drunk in a hall has to be their responsibility. if the running of the mareel depends on getting the customers drunk then it would be best for it to remain un built. should public buildings be dependant on the sale of alcohol then there is something wrong.

 

why is there drink sold at family events. there is no problem selling it on an adult only event. alcohol harms the community so maybe the community should have sense and control it. the french are wise in there use of it. why should shetland have such a hard drinking tradition. maybe if there was less of this depressive drug sold then maybe there would be less depressed people about.

 

i thought that the cheap deals on beer and spirits was being banned. when its cheaper to buy strong beer than fruit juice its wrong. if there is a problem with alcopops ban them. there is no reason for us to put up with something that promotes a problem.

[Spinner72]

 

Not to mention that the recent culture of "drink to get drunk" was unheard of. You drank to have a spree (and maybe more - if you were lucky!)

 

 

You are kidding aren't you? It's maybe a recent culture in the rest of the country but it's long been a tradition in Shetland. It was certainly the case when I was in my teens/early 20's - if you could remember getting home you were seen as a wimp...

 

I'm not kidding and certainly never experienced that, somebody who got mortal, was sick, flaked out etc was the subject of humiliation for weeks for not being able to handled thier drink (let alone the rollicking recieved from parents etc)

 

I do think that if the policy of Under 18's being accompanied by a parent or guardian, as opposed to "an adult", that some smaller halls have, was adopted across the board it would make a big difference.

[Smeeth]

I do think that if the policy of Under 18's being accompanied by a parent or guardian, as opposed to "an adult", that some smaller halls have, was adopted across the board it would make a big difference.

 

Agreed! Although personally I'd go one further.

 

Under 18's night with no alcohol on the premise and an over 18's night with alcohol. Family events where the two age groups mix should be such, if you're under a certain age you need supervision to boost the security that should already be in place.

 

In my experience (i'm a young guardian of a 14 year old) the mixing of the age groups causes nothing but trouble.

 

14 year olds hang aboot with 16 year olds who in turn hang about with 18 year olds who see people in their 20's etc etc etc.

I wouldn't mind but it does mean that the young un's are experiencing things like excessive booze consumption that they just can't handle (or shouldn't!)

[Infiltrator]

I'm not kidding and certainly never experienced that, somebody who got mortal, was sick, flaked out etc was the subject of humiliation for weeks for not being able to handled thier drink (let alone the rollicking recieved from parents etc)

 

Sheltered life perhaps?

 

Sick, flaking out and humiliation was just heavy weekend at Nighttragic, LK UHA, LK carnival or a 3 day isle wedding. My first disco in Whalsay when the policeman was away was a real eye opener

 

PaulB picked up on something I've mentioned before. When we left Shetland it then became clear that other parts of the UK can manage to have a public gathering without a beer tent. In Shetland almost every public event from country shows through sailing to music events are expected to have a beer tent. The islands whole attitude to drinking needs to move on, my comment abou Mareel above was tongue in cheek but it also has a serious point - how many other councils would back a venture that uses a large alcohol consumption to break even financially?

[Medziotojas]

My first disco in Whalsay when the policeman was away was a real eye opener

 

I went to a 24th night when I was well underage. I seem to remember only being allowed spirits in the hall, and no beer. Apparently beer was bad for the floor or something. Could that have been right? Sounded more like an excuse to get mortal. I also remember getting buses around the Mainland to various country venues with carry outs of Tennents lager. It sounds as if things may have actually tightened up a bit in recent years, but there is no doubt alcohol is still a major problem in Shetland, and indeed Britain as a whole. Even in times of recession alcohol is the last thing to get struck off the budget for many people--in fact for some it's the only thing left on their budget.

 

Parents should lead by example and responsible drinking should be encouraged both at home and school (not to be taken out of context ).

 

merger alert

[JimIvens]

The younger mind is a more enquiring mind. As we grow older we ask 'why?' less. To forbid something to a child that you accept for yourself without a seemingly watertight reason is only a challenge. I favour a phased age restriction on drinking, encouraging parental supervision and responsibility. Of course in the real world its never going to happen.

[Smeeth]

The younger mind is a more enquiring mind. As we grow older we ask 'why?' less. To forbid something to a child that you accept for yourself without a seemingly watertight reason is only a challenge. I favour a phased age restriction on drinking, encouraging parental supervision and responsibility. Of course in the real world its never going to happen.

 

First of all, younger minds are more inquisitive as they can't use experience to come to a reasonable understanding of a thing like adults.

 

As for a watertight reason why drinking is acceptable for adults and not children, how does permanent liver damage work for you? An adult's fully grown liver can handle it, a child's cannot.

Simple, watertight and 100% pure FACT.

 

When I was 14 a friend of mine was hospitalised, had his stomach pumped his drinking slowed a little but unfortunately by the time he was 17 he had permanently damaged his body beyond repair, as such he can no longer drink.

 

Binge drinking at the weekend is something a fully grown adult's body cannot sustain indefinitely, I know for a fact that dozen's if not more of under 16's are currently doing this.

[Michael]

Agree with that, but I would say it's more than dozens, quite a large percentage i think.

[zoehenry15]

here i was in that crash thank you very much....

and i would rather not have some people who dont even know me say comments about me on the computer its quite ridicioulous to be honest!!!

and i want to forget about my crash instead of people writing stuff about it!

and the boy who was driving it was a accident he lost control..

and us teenagers want to have to good time i hope u realise that and there aint that much to do in shetland if you arent sporty is there ???

 

but i would rather everyone would stop speaking about this please !!!!

[zoehenry15]

yes peat thank yhoo...

 

but i dont like people going on about how people drink to much and get in a state!

 

its the persons live that they put in their own risk, instead of people speaking on this..!

[unlinkedstudent]

yes peat thank yhoo...

 

but i dont like people going on about how people drink to much and get in a state!

 

its the persons live that they put in their own risk, instead of people speaking on this..!

 

I, for one, don't mind people talking about how people drink too much and get into a state. Perhaps an individual reading this forum may read something they hadn't thought about before and challenge their own thoughts and beliefs.

 

Perhaps you feel that a lot that has been posted is nothing more than idle gossip. To me, drink driving is extremely personal. When I was 13, my nanna was killed by a drunk driver. He was doing 73mph in a 30mph zone. He didn't stop. He was driving a red MG sportscar. He was traced three days later by the Police by the paint he had left on her. Her glasses were embedded sideways into her skull.

 

He received a £150 fine and a 6 months ban (this was in the days before a year's compulsory ban in England).

 

So the point I'm making is that perhaps someone reading this forum who has a drink and drives may think twice before they do so again by reading this post. We are fortunate that we have a degree of free speech and I'm a great believer in that we learn from each other.

 

I haven't commented on the accident as I don't know anything about it apart from what I've read on here. I'm not speculating. But this is a forum and unless the T&Cs are broken and the Mods step in, people are entitled to their opinions.

[paulb]

nobody has said anyone in the car was drunk. it was the general drinking around youth events that's is being commented on.

 

the title is misleading but it was not intended to imply that either person was drink driving. as im sure the police would have checked the driver and as there was no report of an arrest we will take it that they were not drunk.

 

were all grad that your both well and recovering. but there is a problem with underage drinking and it was taking place on fetlar. why the youth feel the need to get blasted is the question.

[Marooned in Maywick]

Going by the original post the thread title is far from misleading.

 

It's the direction the thread has subsequently taken that makes it appear so. I'm as guilty as anyone of taking threads off on tangents - something I don't mind happening, though the Mods often seem to disagree.

[Shoogler]

The title I gave isn't misleading and i have been astounded at how this simple question has led to a discussion about Shetland drink culture - you Shetlinkers aren't half good at mouthing off and making grand assumptions about things! I reckon a lot of you are just a tad over opinionated.