Personal responsibility

[eskrimador]

Last week a young man drown in Belfast's Lagan river after drinking reduced price alcohol after a concert at Belfast's Odyssey Arena. I am in no way reflecting the comments of his family but the talking heads who are on the media.

The young fella's dad recounted how his son was throwing vodkas down one after another, priced at around £1. I've mentioned before that I worked the door for over 2 decades and I've watched the drinking culture change, among young people, over those years. I would be very much in favour of teaching kids about how to behave in a bar and how to drink from their mid teens on, that's how I and my generation learned.

Anyway, back to this case; Un such a case, how much personal responsibility should be given to those who indulge in such drinking practices and how much to the vendors who use such promotions, usually who bring in a crowd on quiet nights?

[statsman]

50/50 sounds about right.

[Dylan2010]

the drinking culture is about the only thing that bothers me about raising kids here. It has to be about parents taking responsibility and creating an atmosphere where drinking isnt seen as being a sneaky thing you do where fooling the parents is part of the game. State regulation doesnt give me any comfort and again just adds to the allure.

[Keith-M]

Parental reponsibility should come first especially if this "young fella" is under 21 and/or still living at home. Many parents now seem to thing that their reposibility ends with feeding their children (no matter if it's junk food or not) and giving them the toys they ask for. As I said before when any under 18 year old is being charged with a crime, their parents should also be in the dock.

[Aristodemus]

Spare me the faux outrage at cheap alcohol being the problem. This is clearly a case of someone abusing themselves. It is the same as those proposing a "fat tax" that might make gluttons think twice before overindulging.

[Dylan2010]

Parental reponsibility should come first especially if this "young fella" is under 21 and/or still living at home. Many parents now seem to thing that their reposibility ends with feeding their children (no matter if it's junk food or not) and giving them the toys they ask for. As I said before when any under 18 year old is being charged with a crime, their parents should also be in the dock.

I'd agree to the point that the parents of under 18's should pay the full cost of any criminal/anti social behaviour there kids get involved in. So if the police have to drive your 14year old home because they are legless, there should be a bill in the post

[former wesleyan]

Spare me the faux outrage at cheap alcohol being the problem. This is clearly a case of someone abusing themselves. It is the same as those proposing a "fat tax" that might make gluttons think twice before overindulging.

It's not faux outrage in a binge drinking culture. And I do wish that someone would come up with a more appropriate word than " culture " for this behaviour.

[Keith-M]

I'd agree to the point that the parents of under 18's should pay the full cost of any criminal/anti social behaviour there kids get involved in. So if the police have to drive your 14year old home because they are legless, there should be a bill in the post

More than that, the parents should be charged with child neglect.

[pippakin]

When someone reaches voting age that is or should be when full parental responsibility for their actions end. If a young person chooses to drink so much, and it is a choice, then that is his fault. A young person who binge drinks, drives dangerously or takes drugs knows the risks and is making a choice. Its wrong, and frankly letting young people off, to suggest that anyone else should take responsibility.

Young people are forever being warned of the dangers of drinking, drugs etc. they would have to be living on an uninhabited island to be unaware.

[Mugsey23]

Parents refuse to take reponsibility for the actions of their toddlers in this country so deffo not gonna take the blame for the actions of their adult children