School Defends Serving Gin to 6th Graders

[mostlylurking]

Let me just offer a bit of humor here....

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron Ohio.
Maybe this school is just trying to identify new members early.

 

[poco]

I can think of a few different ways to teach "honesty" and none of them require GIN.

I agree with ya Taxi -

 

[kygal]

I only have one thing to say about this: :waitasec: :slap:

What in the world were they thinking? And besides, Gin is about the nastiest stuff I've ever tasted. I feel sorry for the kids for having to TASTE the stuff. (*shuddering at bad taste memory*)

 

[ziggy]

I agree with the poster that said there is probably more alcohol in cough and cold medicine.

Gin tastes pretty bad on it's own. I have a horrible memory of gin from college that cured me from ever drinking it again! Pine Sol...definitely.

I think this is much ado about nothing (is that the proper term?)

Our society is pretty paranoid about alcohol. I understand why, but just spend some time in Europe and the teapsoon of gin spit out seems so benign.

 

[Amraann]

I don't think the issue is really about Gin..
IMO its about schools taking over the rights of parents and then justifying it. A teaspoon or not giving a child alchohol is illegal in every state school or not.

 

[Taximom]

I agree with ya Taxi -

Exactly how old is your cat?

 

[sherri79]

for me the issue is idiots teaching kids. what was the point? honesty.... what to see if the kid would lie to get more gin? you would have more luck getting the child to lie to get a extra tea spoon of acid. some1 who has the job of making our kids smarter thought "well gee lets give them a tiny bit of booze to teach them about being honest":doh: :doh: :doh: then this person thought " lets pick the worst tasting stuff so the child gags and has no reason to lie.":banghead: :banghead: well good job. you did the teach the kids something importain. you can find stupid people everywhere. a teaspoon did not hurt the kids but it did not teach them anything about how to be honest. you also upset some parents. if i want to give my child a sip of my drink well i am mom and i can. if you want to give my child a sip then back off. this was totaly pointless and poor judgement.

 

[Nova]

for me the issue is idiots teaching kids. what was the point? honesty.... what to see if the kid would lie to get more gin? you would have more luck getting the child to lie to get a extra tea spoon of acid. some1 who has the job of making our kids smarter thought "well gee lets give them a tiny bit of booze to teach them about being honest":doh: :doh: :doh: then this person thought " lets pick the worst tasting stuff so the child gags and has no reason to lie.":banghead: :banghead: well good job. you did the teach the kids something importain. you can find stupid people everywhere. a teaspoon did not hurt the kids but it did not teach them anything about how to be honest. you also upset some parents. if i want to give my child a sip of my drink well i am mom and i can. if you want to give my child a sip then back off. this was totaly pointless and poor judgement.

sherri and I have resolved to NEVER agree with each other , but I'm afraid I have to agree with her here.

I don't think the children were harmed, but I really don't see the point. And given that some families (including mine) are quite rigidly opposed to ANYone drinking, I'm very surprised the school tried this.

If they HAD to distinguish between the two spoonsful (and I still don't understand how this teaches "honesty"), then water v. club soda or water v. vinegar+water would have done as well.

 

[southcitymom]

It kind of reminds me of the Brokeback-Mountain-as after-school-entertainment thread. Whether we drink alcohol or not or like gin or not, most of us will probably agree that this was NOT a wise decision and wonder what in the heck the people in charge were thinking. :waitasec:

 

[Amraann]

Rhino--have you ever tasted GIN? Its almost as bad as Brandy

Possibly Rhino likes Gin? Obviously some people do or else it would not be sold

Although I agree with you peter

 

[Texana]

A kid who's never tasted pure liquor (which is debatable with gin) might not recognize it right away.

It just sounds like a stupid test of honesty to me.

Why do you need to "test" honesty. It gets tested everyday.

 

[sherri79]

sherri and I have resolved to NEVER agree with each other , but I'm afraid I have to agree with her here.

I don't think the children were harmed, but I really don't see the point. And given that some families (including mine) are quite rigidly opposed to ANYone drinking, I'm very surprised the school tried this.

If they HAD to distinguish between the two spoonsful (and I still don't understand how this teaches "honesty"), then water v. club soda or water v. vinegar+water would have done as well.

well since i posted and u agreed with me the i win.:woohoo:

 

[White Rain]

I thought I was the only one who hated Gin...I took a sip when I was in the 8th grade to look "cool" for my friends, but ended up looking like a fool instead when that horrible taste hit my mouth.

 

[txsvicki]

Actually, the whole rite of passage was a lie if the kids were asked which contained water unless they worded to say which contains only water. Both spoons had some water in them with one being part water and part gin.

 

[ronniejo]

Let me just offer a bit of humor here....

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron Ohio.
Maybe this school is just trying to identify new members early.

You made a Funny!!! :laugh:

 

[Paladin]

Some people need to relax. It was a teaspoon, diluted with water no less. It's not like the kids were walking into walls or slurring their speech like drunken sailors.

 

[gman20001969]

It's an aquired taste. I have to admit the wrong kind of gin, the wrong kind of vermouth, and some nasty olives can make dry martini equal to battery acid.
http://www.drinkboy.com/Essays/ThePerfectMartini.html

And yes, it does have to be shakened, not stirred.

 

[mostlylurking]

Some people need to relax. It was a teaspoon, diluted with water no less. It's not like the kids were walking into walls or slurring their speech like drunken sailors.

For families who suffer from alcoholism, it is a very big deal. The disease can be genetically passed on. Kids with alcoholic parents have a much much higher tendancy toward alcoholism themselves. The gene is either there or it isn't. But it takes alcohol or a drug to turn it "on". Many, many kids start drinking in 6th or 7th grade. If a child of an alcololic, who has the gene for it, has not been exposed to alcohol yet & this is the first time, then the gene just got turned "on". No the kid won't get drunk from a teaspoon, but the trigger for craving could have just been activated.

As the adult child of an alcoholic who died from this disease & a recovering alcoholic myself (started at 12), with 3 small kids who also have a recovering alcoholic father ---- I have to say that I would be PI$$ED if this test were given to my kids without my express permission. NOONE has the right to give my children any kind of drug -- legal or otherwise -- without MY permission. And you can bet I would not be relaxed about it!!!!!!

 

[txsvicki]

Some people need to relax. It was a teaspoon, diluted with water no less. It's not like the kids were walking into walls or slurring their speech like drunken sailors.

People can't just relax with anyone who is around their kids. No one has the right to just take over and make decisions about other people's children for many obvious reasons.

 

[southcitymom]

For families who suffer from alcoholism, it is a very big deal. The disease can be genetically passed on. Kids with alcoholic parents have a much much higher tendancy toward alcoholism themselves. The gene is either there or it isn't. But it takes alcohol or a drug to turn it "on". Many, many kids start drinking in 6th or 7th grade. If a child of an alcololic, who has the gene for it, has not been exposed to alcohol yet & this is the first time, then the gene just got turned "on". No the kid won't get drunk from a teaspoon, but the trigger for craving could have just been activated.

As the adult child of an alcoholic who died from this disease & a recovering alcoholic myself (started at 12), with 3 small kids who also have a recovering alcoholic father ---- I have to say that I would be PI$$ED if this test were given to my kids without my express permission. NOONE has the right to give my children any kind of drug -- legal or otherwise -- without MY permission. And you can bet I would not be relaxed about it!!!!!!

Welcome, mostly lurking!

You've told my story here, except my alcoholic parent is still alive.

I have two male children of Irish descent and both of their parents are alcoholics/addicts - so they have some cards stacked against them as regards this disease. I would prefer they not be exposed to alcohol any sooner than necessary.

I myself was already drinking in 6th grade.

If my 6th grade child were exposed to gin in this regard, I would use it as an opportunity to talk about addiction and their gene pool.