Adolescent Drinking

I note that we are being discouraged from allowing anyone under the age of 15 to drink any alcohol at all.

Web searches have produced copious material about the dangers of what is called 'heavy drinking' on the part pf the young but little material about the occasional sip.

When I was a child I was given small quantities of alcohol on the rare occasions my parents drank it. The main alcoholic events were Christmas, New Year and my parents' birthdays. On those occasions I was usually given a little cowslip wine.

About once a month my father would buy a bottle of cider for consumption with Sunday lunch. I was then allowed a little in a wine glass.

I wonder if even that very modest level of consumption was dangerous?

Children don't like to feel left out, and that is a good reason for allowing them a little alcohol when their elders are drinking.  The sensible approach is for parents to consume alcohol no more often than it is safe for their children to join them. If it is never safe for children to drink, we should all give up alcohol on occasions when children are present.