General Chat

"Children as young as eight talking about being pressured for sex and taking drugs are the stars of a new government TV campaign.

"In less than four years I'll start going to parties where I'll be drinking alcohol," says one girl; another says how before she is 15 she will be drinking at a party and a boy will "pressure me for sex"; a boy says that he will soon be at his first gig, presumably drinking, where he will then be offered drugs by an older boy.

The TV and cinema campaign, from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which you can see for the first time on MediaGuardian.co.uk, aims to drive home that young children are only a few years away from being in social situations where they will be exposed to underage drinking and its consequences.

"The sooner we talk to our kids about alcohol the less chance that drink will start making decisions for them," runs a voiceover at the end of the ad. "

Did you start drinking at a younger age than ( in retrospect ) was good for you ? I know of some kids who are allowed alcohol at a very young age ( imo) and on a regular basis... Does anyone know whether binge drinking by youngsters is as big a problem in ,say, France..where wine is often watered down and given with meals to young ones...


The campaign, which has been created by the ad agency Wieden & Kennedy London, includes two television ads and a cinema commercial. One of the TV ads will air in general programming to target families; the second carries a 9pm watershed restriction as it uses more hard-hitting language and descriptions of potential negative consequences around drinking."

Do you wish you had started drinking later, or not at all? if you're a parent will you try telling your child to wait or let them drink at home in an effort to ensure they know how to do it in moderation?

well it is Friday night lol so might be an apt topic?

Rose, I think it's probably a very interesting topic but I can't take in that much writing tonight so will look at it when I'm next on:))

I'm with Uggers on this one Rose .......I started thinking about the subject but my brain flat lined..........lol..........I've consummed one to many me thinks .

Edit ; just to say I haven' t seen the ads in question .

~~~Uggers and Amanda... I think the ad tonight was trialing it really , lol probably to see if people complained...or noticed even :)

I'd like to see/hear the parents of these children!
Why are 8 year olds talking about sex?
True, there is an awful lot of cr*p on children's TV - and before 9. And some awful scheduling, for example:
Why does 'Hollyoaks' come on at 6.30, straight after 'TheSimpsons' on channel 4?
My children used to watch 'Hollyoaks' when it first started - it was like a copy cat 'Grange Hill' then it started to get quite violent and disturbing - to the extent that they had a male rape scene - but showed the programme after 9! They really should make up their minds who it's aimed at - and put it on later ALL the time.
When my grand daughter stays, she watches 'The Simpsons' - then I turn radio 4 on!!! But how many children just carry on watching TV?
What ideas do they pick up from these programmes?