Responsible drinking habits start young

In an article written by Dwight Heath in a 2008 issues of The MetroWest Daily News, Heath addresses the issue of underage drinking in America and challenges the public to take a different approach in alcohol education.  He puts alcohol education in the hands of the parents and encourages them to approach drinking as it in in others countries.

The zero-tolerance, abstinence-only approach used in America is an unrealistic form of alcohol education and has not produced affective results in responsible drinking habits among young adults.  Heath uses the drinking habits of the French culture to support his argument against the zero-tolerance approach.  He presents evidence that children growing up in a family where alcohol is approached in a "in moderation" manner encourages more responsible drinking habits.

"A study at the University of North Carolina found that kids who drank with their parents were about half as likely to say they had drunk alcohol in the past month and one-third as likely to say they had had five or more consecutive drinks in the previous two weeks."

While this article was printed in Massachusetts, it is a social issue relevant to Columbia, SC.  In a college town constantly battling underage drinking, one must wonder how the situation would be different had students grown up in a culture like that in France.  It is clear the current national opinion on alcohol education is not producing positive result.  It is time to put the power in the hands of the parents and stop approaching alcohol as a forbidden drink, but something to be educated on and handled responsibly.

Link to article: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinion/x1172558592/Heath-Start-early-to-teach-your-children-to-drink-responsibly