A word about the new ‘Don’t drink in front of children’ campaign
There’s a difference between creating awareness and going overboard. And let me make my position clear right away: I think this new campaign by Alcoholalliantie AAN definitely falls into the latter category. They have launched a new campaign calling on people who drink alcohol to ‘stop drinking in front of children’.
That would mean that if you go out to eat with your kids, you can’t order a glass of wine or a beer. But even if other children are present who aren’t yours, Alcoholalliantie AAN thinks you should abstain from alcohol. Just imagine: you go and play football, tennis or whatever sport you like at the weekend, and afterwards you want to have a beer in the clubhouse. But then you spot a minor out of the corner of your eye, so you can’t anymore. At least, that’s what Alcoholalliantie AAN wants to achieve.
‘Seeing people drink makes you drink’
According to AAN, children often copy adults’ behaviour, which is why we should abstain from alcohol when they are nearby. ‘The ultimate goal is for children not to start drinking alcohol before they turn 18. The aim is also for them not to drink too much or develop problems if they do start drinking after turning 18,’ says foundation AAN. I seriously wonder whether they actually think this is an achievable and realistic vision of the future; how do they imagine this working?
I can imagine that if this becomes a trend (which I don’t see happening), more restaurants will start becoming 18+ venues. Because not ordering alcohol in a restaurant also means a significantly lower turnover. Or parents may leave their children with a babysitter more often, so they can enjoy that glass of wine after all.
Isn’t this a little over the top?
I think we all know that alcohol is unhealthy. But completely shielding children from it and treating it almost like a secret (‘Mum and Dad do drink, but you’re not allowed to see that’) seems completely counterproductive to me. Saying that something isn’t allowed inevitably makes you want it even more. Why doesn’t Alcoholalliantie AAN advocate more education about alcohol use? About its consequences? Why don’t they work on giving children more confidence through workshops, so they feel more comfortable saying ‘no’ to peer pressure?
No, in my opinion this campaign completely misses the mark. Go ahead and enjoy a glass of wine with your kids around; better yet, let them join in the toast with their own (alcohol-free, duh) drink. Include them in what a moment of relaxation looks like for you (for example, that one glass of wine, or two—sorry AAN, it happens sometimes) and above all: talk to them about it. Pretending alcohol is the Great Boogeyman, some illegal substance they’re not allowed to see until they reach adulthood, strikes me as incredibly patronising.
