The week began with the farce of cannabis reclassification, a move touted as having been done in order to protect young people from the possible dangers cannabis use might pose, even though those dangers haven’t actually been shown to exist. The “logic” is really quite simple; use the law to deter cannabis use to show the disapproval of authority – that cannabis use is “unacceptable” as Mr Brown put it. For any kid interested in what cannabis does, beyond a government funded advertising campaign (Talk to Frank) and anti drug education in schools, that’s about it beyond the threat of a stop-search by the plod. For any kid who does decide to spark up, all he or she has for advice is their friendly dealer or their mates. This is how the government shows it’s “concern” for cannabis users, health enforcement through the law in a way designed simply and solely to appeal to the abstentionist mindset at the heart of prohibition. Absolutely the one thing that must not happen is parents introducing their offspring to cannabis use, the law is imposed with some vigor against anyone who does that.
It was opportune then that later in the same week a draft of some very different drug advice was issued from government advisers. This advice relates to a drug with known dangers which can be quite severe and which eclipse anything cannabis can do, yet it couldn’t be more different to the cannabis approach shown by the reclassification hype. “Draft Guidance on the Consumption of Alcohol by Children and Young People from the Chief Medical Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland” was issued to howls of criticism in the popular press and on many forums.
What it actually advised was:
1 Children and their parents and carers are advised that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. However, if children drink alcohol, it should not be until at least the age of 15 years.
2 If young people aged 15 to 17 years consume alcohol, it should always be with the guidance of a parent or carer or in a supervised environment.
3 Parents and young people should be aware that drinking, even at age 15 or older, can be hazardous to health and that not drinking is the healthiest option for young people. If 15 to 17 year olds do consume alcohol they should do so infrequently and certainly on no more than one day a week. Young people aged 15 to 17 years should never exceed recommended adult daily limits and on days when they drink, consumption should usually be below such levels.
4 The importance of parental influences on children’s alcohol use should be communicated to parents, carers and professionals. Parents and carers require advice on how to respond to alcohol use and misuse by children
5 Support services must be available for children and young people who have alcohol related problems and their parents
Which is pretty reasonable advice you might think, indeed change ‘alcohol’ for ‘cannabis’ and it’s not a million miles from the advice UKCIA would like to see replace the present policy. However, what seems to have got people’s back up and made the headlines was the first recommendation that “if children drink alcohol, it should not be until at least the age of 15 years”. This post, made to a general chat section of a forum unrelated to drugs of any kind was fairly typical of the reaction:
I really see nothing wrong with allowing children of secondary school age the occasional small glass of beer or wine when their parents are having one. Surely it is likely to promote a more responsible attitude to alcohol in later life if children are brought up to understand that it is something that can be enjoyed in moderation rather than regarding it as forbidden fruit.
A lot of people seem to hold this view, many if not all of whom were given alcohol by their parents when young and consider it the right and above all responsible thing to do. Indeed, it has a grounding in common sense, much like teaching small kids that building fires is fun but also dangerous, likewise learning to cross roads and indeed dealing with any one of many of the temptations and dangers life throws at us. People who go through childhood without learning these important life skills are badly equipped for dealing with the world.
As has been said often on this blog, alcohol is a drug like any other and actually quite a bit worse than some, the distinction made by the government through the law is totally arbitrary. The drug alcohol is addictive, causes physical and mental health problems and leads to problems such as unplanned pregnancy, accidents and violence on a massive scale. It can also lead to overdose and death, which is not uncommon. What we have here is advice on how to deal with young people’s use of one of the most destructive recreational drugs known to man and a large proportion of the population can see a reason for allowing children to be introduced to it in a responsible way.
Mark Lawson in the Guardian put it quite well in his item “Ninny book of booze” in the “Comment is free” section on Friday
And anyone who has fought in these wars of hormonal independence will also know that the best way of ensuring that their offspring head for the nearest bar and demand an intravenous drip stretching from the biggest keg is to tell them to have a dry night.
Which is the lesson those who like to think they are in charge of things have constantly failed to understand when it comes to drugs, which is that those of us who decide to see what it’s all about will do so. We’ll either do it under the wing of an approving adult or else not, but do it we will. It’ll be in the park or some other place where disapproving adults can’t see what we’re up to like a derelict building if we can’t do it at home with mum and dad. Not only that, but like it or not, we’ll do it when we see fit, be that at whatever age, teenagers are especially prone to such logic, always have been and always will be. What the government advice is or what law says couldn’t be less of an influence. The one thing that’s a dead cert to make kids want to experiment with anything is to raise their interest in it and the absolute best way to do that is to tell them it’s forbidden. This is even more true when something is widespread with a huge level of social acceptance and a tradition of being “underground” like cannabis.
The problem is politicians and Chief Medical Officers seem as if they never went through being a teenage, instead evolving straight from childhood to middle age. Either that or they learned nothing from the experience of their teenage years.
In other words, the idea of imposing any kind of lower age limit on experimentation by teenagers is a lost cause, the only option open to authority is to impose sanctions on adults who supply kids, beyond that it’s something we have to deal with if or when it happens whether we like it happening or not.
The alcohol advice does make the point that “If young people (snipping a bit about a minimum age) consume alcohol, it should always be with the guidance of a parent or carer or in a supervised environment”. Sure, it’s probably not a good idea for a child to drink and not a good idea to introduce a young teenager to alcohol, but if it is going to happen then better it happens under the wing of an adult, that is pretty obviously good advice.
But if this is good advice for booze, why isn’t it good advice for cannabis?
An revealing exercise is to change the word alcohol for drugs in some government documents:
see here for example
Yes indeed, thanks for that Steve. The blog you link to makes the point perfectly.
Thing is, the way we treat alcohol and the way we treat cannabis and the other (non)controlled drugs couldn’t be more opposite. In being so utterly opposed, one of the approaches must be wrong, they can’t both be right.
Indeed Steve, that was the exact recommendation of Judge Jerry Paradis (Vancouver, BC) to the New Zealand Law Commission that is reviewing ‘drugs and the law’ [and usefully also examining the alcohol laws.]
The clear message re-categorising cannabis from C to B has done is to push alcohol further away from it in the spectrum of harm. People have their own anecdotal views on how harmful cannabis is and now they think alcohol is even safer.
We often forget just how many alcoholics work in prominent positions in society and have an influence over young peoples lives. (Remember if a person cannot go out for a meal or get through the weekend without consuming alcohol then they have a dependency.) Maybe the government should not listen to alcohol consumers or purveyors (dealers – in drug jargon) just as they refuse to listen to the views of cannabis users, growers or dealers when making those laws.
Many people have died through an unrealistic view of alcohol being the norm in our society. My father died last month of alcohol related illness and he was a really decent man who always kept himself fit, enjoyed sport and led an active life. Until his dying day he was under the impression that alcohol did him no harm, was safe to consume with his medication and had nothing to do with his illness. He was not an unreasonable man and he always said that he thought all recreational drugs should be legal and controlled but he still had this idea that alcohol was not even a drug and harmless. How could I have told him he was wrong when virtually everyone else agreed with him. Liver failure was a secondary cause of death but the death certificate did not say it was alcohol related. If any other drugs were involved in someone’s death then I am sure they would have been given full blame. It is sad for someone to kill themselves with drug use but even worse if they are deluding themselves or others about what is really happening to them.
Real people, real society, real consequences when we lie or sugar the truth
It surprises me how naive the authorities’ treatment of teenagers is. I’m a surrogate parent of sorts to a teenager. What I’ve learnt from her is:
-she’s been able to get weed, e, k and speed with little difficulty (and at prices within the realms of pocket money) since she was 12
-alcohol and cigarettes still present a challenge to obtain at 16, the effect being she doesn’t drink that much.
I’m sure you’ve already made this point but wanted to chip in anyway. Great blog btw
Just a thought on the availability of illegal drugs to minors. They are often sold sub-standard or substitute substances (most adults are in this unfortunate position but young people are especially vulnerable). Also young people are a less discerning market and less likely to make a fuss at being sold poor quality goods.
With legal drugs there are things such as seals on the product to ensure quality and to protect against an adulterated supply. The legal producers already make and distribute their products as cheaply as possible so the counterfeit market does not exist to the same extent. This is certainly the case with alcohol but less so now with tobacco since it is so heavily taxed.
I am sure most kids can find someone who will sell them any substance they care to name but what they actually get is often poor quality if it is even the substance they have asked for at all.
Soap Bar hash, Weed with contaminants to bulk the weight, Speed sold as Cocaine etc
By the way weed requires skill and care in growing, proper trimming, proper drying, proper storage and curing for at least 3 months before use. Anything less is not at it’s full potential to say the least !
“I really see nothing wrong with allowing children of secondary school age the occasional small glass of beer or wine when their parents are having one. Surely it is likely to promote a more responsible attitude to alcohol in later life if children are brought up to understand that it is something that can be enjoyed in moderation rather than regarding it as forbidden fruit.”
Hmm, those were my words. Never thought I’d find myself quoted on here!
ban alcohol no amount is safe ,murders are committed under the influence of alcohol
Great article! never understood why alcohol gets let off and weed gets so much crap.
Hi im a 22 year old male. my parents have owned a bar since i was in second grade. in fact it was right across the street from our home. Statistically i should be an alcoholic but since i have seen so many people who are so violent while using this drug, so many friends dead because of driving while using this drug, i rarely ever drink. to date the last time i had a drink was 3 months ago and it was only 1.
through slightly earlier stages of my young life i drank more frequently but always had someone sober come get me or i would stay the night and go home in the morning.
I believe the reasons for all of this is because my parents explained what alcohol was and i was always around it.
and for the smokers and non smokers out there ive been smoking cannabis fot about 2 years now every day love it and ive never raped robbed or killed anyone i go to work evrery day (not high) i know for most of you smokers out there u also share this same lifestyle but unfortunately a lot of people still think (HIGH ON THE RANGE OR REEFER MADNESS) when they talk about “dope smokers“.
I hope one day society will realize alcohol is a drug and weed isnt so bad after all.
For the record im not bashing alcohol or its users i simply believe that what you put in your body is your own business and as long as you are not hurting anyone else no one should be able to tell you otherwise.
peace to everyone