Alcohol problems in Waterford and Ireland

bradknowell

watermark wrote: »

but others experiences may be of violence and vomiting. i believe alcohol doesnt cause violence or anti-social behaviour, it simply brings out those traits in a personality. apologies if thats slightly off topic.

A drunk man's actions are a sober man's thoughts, or something like that.

spankmemunkey

I think if you had a wedding in Ireland and you told the guests theres no alcohol being served at it you wouldnt get anybody going, It would be a right nigtmare cos people dont know how to enjoy themselves and socialise without drink.

Same with festivals, imagine saying your not allowed drink and there will be no alcohol served, it wouldnt get off the ground!

Lets hope that we can teach our kids that theres better things in life than drink,

ROCKMAN

spankmemunkey wrote: »

I think if you had a wedding in Ireland and you told the guests theres no alcohol being served at it you wouldnt get anybody going, It would be a right nigtmare cos people dont know how to enjoy themselves and socialise without drink.

Same with festivals, imagine saying your not allowed drink and there will be no alcohol served, it wouldnt get off the ground!

Lets hope that we can teach our kids that theres better things in life than drink,

Was at the Hype Festival in Longford in May ,There was 6000 Teenagers at the festival aged between 15-19 ,Alcohol free event,

So it can be done but takes alot of work.

anplaya

so none of em drank before going to it?did any of them not smuggle anything in, id find that hard to believe ,what with 6,000 teens?

spankmemunkey

Well if they did fair play but i have to agree with the other poster, no one was drinking before hand?

spankmemunkey

Another occasion i forgot to mention is the Debs theres kids in there that arent even 18 yet and they are openly served alcohol and tend to get very very drunk, and parents seem to accept this aswell,

ROCKMAN

anplaya wrote: »

so none of em drank before going to it?did any of them not smuggle anything in, id find that hard to believe ,what with 6,000 teens?

spankmemunkey wrote: »

Well if they did fair play but i have to agree with the other poster, no one was drinking before hand?

I understand yer scepticism but it was a youth club thing ,With clubs travelling from all over Ireland to it, So I'm 99.99 % sure (or as sure as i can be ) that there was no drinking before hand or smuggling going on ,Yes there was one or two incidents with locals trying to get in who could have been drinking not sure to be honest, but security deal with it and the day was a fantastic success , As i say it can be done but takes a hell of alot of planning and organising ,

oh and the biggest help is having the teenagers willing to go to this type of event.

spankmemunkey

Oh well that was good, Pitty there isnt anything like that in Waterford there probably wouldnt be that many teens interested in going to an event that was set up to avoid teesns drinking, Id say the early teens yeah but like 16's on wouldnt be into it im sure, They are the likes who feel they are on the cusp of adult hood and they want to behave like adults as they see it, pitty they didnt start a job and paying bills too lol

Petey89

its not just kids i was unpacking shopping from my car outside the polish shop on annes street and there was three fellas i think plish or russian all in the late 40 or early 50s sharing a bottle of vodka on the street they were hammered and shouting at people walking past, this was at 2 or 3 in the day. i thought it was a disgrace, its no way to behave on the street if they want to do that go behind closed doors an drink

FishBowel

Why didn't you phone the Guards?

Petey89

FishBowel wrote: »

Why didn't you phone the Guards?

i have phoned the gards on similar occasions and have learned they dont do much round here

ComfyKnickers

spankmemunkey wrote: »

Yeah thats a good point i agree with you there, I dont like to see that either surprise surprise when it comes to kids sitting in a pub with their parents.

Regarding your daughter(every child is different and their relationship with their parents) but do you think she would be honest with you and tell you that she was drunk something she would probably be worried about telling her mother or she has drank before!

I do think that my choice along with teaching my kids properly about alcohol is whats needed, but i will still not drink in front of them, I dont want to drink anyway at this stage cos i feel that much better for it, ive been off drink that long that even a smell of it gives me a hangover!

As you said, every child and relationship with their parents is different but thankfully I've a great relationship with her and she tells me stuff without me even asking about it - maybe I'm just lucky.

Actually, I thought of this thread during the week because my daughter asked could she go to her friends house as it was the friends sister's 17 birthday. I immediately said no as I was thinking she was way too young to be in a house with 17 year olds drinking. Anyway, I spoke to the girls' mother and was very pleased to hear her saying that there would be no alcohol whatsoever at the party, that she even thought 18 was too young to be drinking and that her two daughters were pioneers (as is mine). I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, I presumed at 17 there would be some drink there. Turns out there are only about 4 or 5 people coming to the house and the mother said to me "there is no drinking allowed in this house and if somebody doesn't like my rules, they can f**k off! Fair play to her.

paranoidpoker

Alcohol abuse is a social parasite you wont see people up in the scandanavian countries acting in a similar fashion, dont think you can box the problem of to just blaming the parents, Indeed in certain situations that may be partly to blame, there are many different factors to blame or attribute.

Just take Waterford city the problem with alcohol and drug abuse is evident for all to see ( put drugs in because they come together imo) look at the once bustling ballybricken and the surrounding areas pubs ,off licences, bookmakers on every corner, where you can purchase your poison at will for next to nothing, ok so not to pick just that area move up town or down town and into the cauldron what have you got muggings,intoxication assaults at will sometimes sadly murder to and be guaranteed a massively high percentage are alcohol related for such a small place it can be quiet volatile at times and it has huge similarities to the film the crazies.

Thats just one aspect of the problem and i suppose that example is talking about more advanced stages of addiction and its consequences.

How does the problem get solved and where has it come from it and what can we do about it, thats going take alot of people that care to get together and figure out because its massive when you include the variables (ie) Health, criminality and all the associated problems.

spankmemunkey

paranoidpoker wrote: »

Alcohol abuse is a social parasite you wont see people up in the scandanavian countries acting in a similar fashion, dont think you can box the problem of to just blaming the parents, Indeed in certain situations that may be partly to blame, there are many different factors to blame or attribute.

Just take Waterford city the problem with alcohol and drug abuse is evident for all to see ( put drugs in because they come together imo) look at the once bustling ballybricken and the surrounding areas pubs ,off licences, bookmakers on every corner, where you can purchase your poison at will for next to nothing, ok so not to pick just that area move up town or down town and into the cauldron what have you got muggings,intoxication assaults at will sometimes sadly murder to and be guaranteed a massively high percentage are alcohol related for such a small place it can be quiet volatile at times and it has huge similarities to the film the crazies.

Thats just one aspect of the problem and i suppose that example is talking about more advanced stages of addiction and its consequences.

How does the problem get solved and where has it come from it and what can we do about it, thats going take alot of people that care to get together and figure out because its massive when you include the variables (ie) Health, criminality and all the associated problems.

I think to say you wont see people in Scandanvia acting the same is only anicdotal and you cant really say for sure cos you cant prove it, its a peeve of mine when people say you wouldnt get this or that in Germany or Spain or France, when you do just maybe not as prevelant in this case but i know for personal experience that France and Germany both have their own problems, and trains and buses dont always run on time in Germany!

I do agree with you though that young people are growing up in a society that alcohol is the norm and getting drunk and acting jack the lad its been like that for a long time, and we pay the price for living in such a society and yes there are alot of people who dont like to hear what were saying or writing who think its all a storm in a tea cup but they are probably the people who like to go out and get jarred on a regular basis.

To comfy knickers its nice to see some parents who put their foot down when it comes to underage drinking. fair play this thread is draggin on though isnt it lol

blackwave

seems a new by-law has been enacted against public drinking as WIT students union just posted a link about it.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.298296530269551.60958.113279268771279&type=1

So now you can be charged €75 if caught drinking on the street. Hopefully it wont be a law just enforced during the college term and only in certain estates namely templars and other student haunts. Wonder how far this "zero-tolerance" will last, though. To be honest I think this law is good if enforced with a bit of common sense, bit unfair to be targeting people who are just walking to a house with a bag of cans in hand if they are been quiet and not causing any anti-social behavior. But anyone acting the maggot should instantly be targeted in my opinion.

spankmemunkey

I can just see the guards now driving past the halting site on the Kilbarry road and saying uh oh, reverse there, I see one of them lads with a can in their hand lets do em! dont think so! lets hope they keep the law the same for everybody!

FishBowel

The only way Waterford would see all the Guards out in the streets is if there was a women's mini-marathon!

DRUMorDIE

I'd just likme to chime in and say I am formerly one of those kids. I grew up never seeing my parents drunk in the day or doing illicit substances so was never under the impression "Well Mam and Dad do it so I can". We've all had the few drinks out in the open be it the garden or being younger after hours in a field. The lads here are just getting away from parents and life in one of the ugliest ways possible.

It all begins with the youngers joing in the olders around the town and sooner or later the weather will rise above 15 degrees and they have an oul drink. Its nothing but old habits from your mate who is a couple years older than you who shows how "cool" it is to get sloshed in a park. Since most, if not all, of these lads live at home or in small studio flats they can't exactly have 30 teens over for afternoon beers so they go to a convienient location. Sad to see but the errors of youth.

I'm in no way condoning this but they are young. Not all people 15 have an interest of getting drunk. I know plenty who have never drank and/or don't intend on for some time. It all boils down to who you are friends with and what they like to do with their afternoon. You hardly expect parents of adolescents to have them on a lead for all hours of the day.

spankmemunkey

DRUMorDIE wrote: »

I'd just likme to chime in and say I am formerly one of those kids. I grew up never seeing my parents drunk in the day or doing illicit substances so was never under the impression "Well Mam and Dad do it so I can". We've all had the few drinks out in the open be it the garden or being younger after hours in a field. The lads here are just getting away from parents and life in one of the ugliest ways possible.

It all begins with the youngers joing in the olders around the town and sooner or later the weather will rise above 15 degrees and they have an oul drink. Its nothing but old habits from your mate who is a couple years older than you who shows how "cool" it is to get sloshed in a park. Since most, if not all, of these lads live at home or in small studio flats they can't exactly have 30 teens over for afternoon beers so they go to a convienient location. Sad to see but the errors of youth.

I'm in no way condoning this but they are young. Not all people 15 have an interest of getting drunk. I know plenty who have never drank and/or don't intend on for some time. It all boils down to who you are friends with and what they like to do with their afternoon. You hardly expect parents of adolescents to have them on a lead for all hours of the day.

I wouldnt just blame parents for drinking in front of kids, what i mean by that is in relation to a society thats already crippled by alcohol maybe we shouldnt enforce an already increasing trend.

By parents I also mean by educating your kids and teaching them properly and setting a good example, I simply see it as being very hypocritical to tell them you shouldnt drink alcohol till your 18 at least and then do it in moderation etc etc and then i head off into the kitchen and open a bottle of wine and sit down and get drunk in front of them.

People will drink regardless, but we need to limit the next generations exposure to the normality of drinking alcohol and it needs to be done on several fronts in schools on TV in advertising and in the home, hopefully this will reduce alcohols exposure, Its clearly the thing to do for the majority of kids still.

What was that joke Des Bishop said, He as some of you may not know is a recovering alcoholic and was sent to Ireland to get away from his demons, and he recalled it was like sending someone to an alcoholics version of Disney Land. He also joked that in america you have a problem and in Ireland your a pussy!

My general point was to reduce the exposure kids are getting and it should start at home and with parents.

Kitty_Ears

spankmemunkey wrote: »

I do think a discussion like this is healthy and helps, I saw kids drinking near the skate board area, the kids were wearing very little and boys and girls groping each other kissing heavily and drinking,

Ah jaysus, you already want them to stop drinking you can't take the dry humping away aswell ya bollox :L

ComfyKnickers

spankmemunkey wrote: »

I wouldnt just blame parents for drinking in front of kids, what i mean by that is in relation to a society thats already crippled by alcohol maybe we shouldnt enforce an already increasing trend.

By parents I also mean by educating your kids and teaching them properly and setting a good example, I simply see it as being very hypocritical to tell them you shouldnt drink alcohol till your 18 at least and then do it in moderation etc etc and then i head off into the kitchen and open a bottle of wine and sit down and get drunk in front of them.

People will drink regardless, but we need to limit the next generations exposure to the normality of drinking alcohol and it needs to be done on several fronts in schools on TV in advertising and in the home, hopefully this will reduce alcohols exposure, Its clearly the thing to do for the majority of kids still.

What was that joke Des Bishop said, He as some of you may not know is a recovering alcoholic and was sent to Ireland to get away from his demons, and he recalled it was like sending someone to an alcoholics version of Disney Land. He also joked that in america you have a problem and in Ireland your a pussy!

My general point was to reduce the exposure kids are getting and it should start at home and with parents.

Seeing as I was the one who mentioned having a bottle of wine at home at weekends and explaining moderation to my kids, I really have to pull you up on basically calling me a hypocrite!

Firstly, I am an adult so it is not hypocritical to tell my children not to drink until they are 18 and then drink myself. I am over 18.

I, and most of my friends who have a drink at home over the weekends, do drink in moderation. I sit down watching TV while enjoying two, maybe three glasses of wine. (I don't even do it every weekend!) I look and act no different than I would if I had a glass of 7up in front of me. I am usually only in the company of my husband so it's not like I've the entire street in doing the Macarena around the house while we fill up our wheelie bin with empties! I do not "get drunk" at home, I enjoy a drink, there's a big difference! I could be wrong but I would have thought most people who have a drink at home over the weekends are the same?? (i.e. sit on the couch the way you would any other night of the week only this time with a glass of wine or bottle of beer in front of you!). This is drinking in moderation as far as I'm concerned and again, not hypocritical at all.

I'm curious as to what other posters think??

deisemum

ComfyKnickers wrote: »

Seeing as I was the one who mentioned having a bottle of wine at home at weekends and explaining moderation to my kids, I really have to pull you up on basically calling me a hypocrite!

Firstly, I am an adult so it is not hypocritical to tell my children not to drink until they are 18 and then drink myself. I am over 18.

I, and most of my friends who have a drink at home over the weekends, do drink in moderation. I sit down watching TV while enjoying two, maybe three glasses of wine. (I don't even do it every weekend!) I look and act no different than I would if I had a glass of 7up in front of me. I am usually only in the company of my husband so it's not like I've the entire street in doing the Macarena around the house while we fill up our wheelie bin with empties! I do not "get drunk" at home, I enjoy a drink, there's a big difference! I could be wrong but I would have thought most people who have a drink at home over the weekends are the same?? (i.e. sit on the couch the way you would any other night of the week only this time with a glass of wine or bottle of beer in front of you!). This is drinking in moderation as far as I'm concerned and again, not hypocritical at all.

I'm curious as to what other posters think??

I agree with you, though I rarely drink especially at home. I think it also shows how to drink in moderation and not drinking to get drunk.