Brooke - a view from a young person

Brooke, a 16-year-old and student at MacLeans College in Buckland’s Beach, provides a young person’s perspective – something she says is almost always missing from the debate.

Brooke confirms that a lot of young people get their alcohol from friends who are 18 but that a lot of 16-year-olds also have fake IDs. She says her parents will sometimes buy her alcohol for special occasions, but they always do it (usually a four-pack of RTDs) so they know how much she is drinking.

She reckons she has pretty responsible attitudes towards alcohol.

“They have come from my parents. They know young people are going to drink, but they have chosen to trust me, and I don’t want to lose that trust. I know if I come home wasted they will not buy me more. Alcohol’s not something I want to abuse anyway. I’ve seen guys getting carried away in ambulances and having their stomachs pumped, and it’s really gross.”

Brooke has had one bad experience with alcohol that freaked her out.

“I couldn’t remember what had happened to me, and that was really scary. Sometimes it takes a bad experience to know where your limit is.”

She says most of her friends’ parents are also responsible when buying alcohol for their kids. But sometimes, when parents say no, kids just go to other places, and parents end up not knowing what they are drinking.

“If after-ball parties are cancelled, kids will go off and drink where they aren’t supervised. It’s far better for them to drink in an environment where they can be supervised and where limits are put on what can be drunk and you can’t leave without parental permission. If you’re out drinking and walking the streets, it’s easy to get into trouble, especially if you lose your friends.

“Parents don’t realise there are going to be far worse outcomes if kids drink at other places and Police are going to have more on their hands than at a controlled after-ball.”

When it comes to one day introducing her own kids to alcohol, Brooke says she will let them drink under her supervision on family occasions.

“I plan to teach them about the effects of alcohol and the dangers around getting drunk. I think the best way parents can give their kids good attitudes towards alcohol is by setting them a good example, not drinking a lot themselves. I think they should set really clear but strict rules for them and then trust them to keep to the rules but not give them very many chances if they stuff up.”

Brooke thinks it’s really important that adults understand kids’ point of view.

“We understand theirs. We do get it that alcohol can be dangerous, but adults have to understand that kids can also enjoy alcohol, and why shouldn’t we be allowed to if we can do it responsibly?