Quarter of Parents let Underage Kids Drink Alcohol on Holiday

June 22, 2011 - PRLog -- A new study by one of the UK’s leading online independent travel agents has revealed that a quarter of UK parents who have been on holiday with their children in the past have let them drink alcohol underage whilst away.

The poll was carried out by www.sunshine.co.uk as part of research into the holiday habits of Britons and 1,119 parents from the UK took part. All respondents had children aged 13-17 and had been on holiday with their children in the past 3 years.

When asked, ‘Have you ever let your child drink alcohol on holiday, despite them being underage?’ 23% of the parents polled said ‘yes’. These same respondents were then asked if they ever allowed their children to drink alcohol back home in the UK, to which 52% said ‘no’. The parents who let their children drink on holiday were asked if their child became intoxicated, to which a fifth, 21%, said ‘yes’.

The parents who did let their children drink alcohol on holiday, but not at home, were asked by sunshine.co.uk to explain why they thought it was OK abroad. The top 5 reasons, as stated by these parents, were as follows;

•   Because they’re on holiday – 28%
•   Think it’s legal – 22%
•   Safer to drink abroad with parents – 19%
•   So they don’t moan if they aren’t allowed – 11%
•   Cheaper to drink abroad – 4%

When asked how old their child was when they first let them drink underage on holiday, the results were as follows:

•   Aged 10-11 – 4%
•   Aged 12-13 – 26%
•   Aged 14-15 – 47%
•   Aged 16-17 – 23%

Chris Brown, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, commented on the findings:

“Parents that let their underage children drink alcohol on holiday because they think it’s legal should be careful. Whilst many bars and restaurants in resorts abroad are more lenient when it comes to ID, you should check the relevant drinking laws in the country you are visiting, because you might find it isn’t actually legal.

“As for those allowing their children to have an alcohol drink for a quiet life, they really need to ensure their child is safe and with them at all times. Being drunk in a foreign country, particularly underage, is not safe, nor is it something we would recommend.”
LINK http://www.sunshine.co.uk

ENDS

For more information, contact Shannon Haigh of 10 Yetis PR Agency on 01452 348211 or email Shannon@10yetis.co.uk

Editors Notes

sunshine.co.uk is the UK's leading online independent travel agent and was founded by Chris Brown and Chris Clarkson, the same people behind Holiday Watchdog which was bought by TripAdvisor in February 2008 for an undisclosed amount of money.

Chris Brown of sunshine.co.uk was a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4 that began in October 2010.

Sunshine.co.uk offers low cost holidays and budget flights to destinations all over the world as well as great deals and discounted hotels.

TravelMole recently voted sunshine.co.uk as the best Travel Agency in the 2010 web awards.