One in three parents would buy children alcohol

More than one third of parents in the UK would buy alcohol for their underage teenage children, according to a survey conducted by alcohol delivery service Booze Up.

More than one third of parents in the UK would buy their underage teenagers alcohol, a survey suggests

A total of 35% of parents who took part in the survey admitted they would provide their teenagers with alcohol for reasons such as “better from me than someone unknown” and “so I can keep an eye on what they drink”.

Other explanations included “to stay in control of how much they drink”.

“Not only is buying alcohol for someone under the age of 18 against the law, it could also unintentionally be putting your child at risk,” commented Ashleigh Fletcher, principal owner at Booze Up.

“If drank in excess, alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning, slower reactions, slower thought processes and risk taking behaviour.”

Furthermore, 27% of parents confessed they had been asked by their children to buy alcohol for them and 13% had given into such requests within the last six months.

The most popular excuse given by children when attempting to convince their parents to buy them alcohol was “everyone else’s parents buy it”.

Mothers were also more likely to buy their children alcohol compared to fathers and those living in Wales were most likely to buy their underage children alcohol compared to the rest of the UK.

“Those underage teens that are caught with alcohol in a public place could also face a social contract, a fine or arrest,” said Darren Sawyer, partner at Booze Up.

“Every parent wants the best for their child, but getting a criminal record could affect future job opportunities.”