LONDON, July 31 (UPI) -- Britain's Tory leader is urging parents to give their children alcohol at home to teach them how to drink responsibly.
Member of Parliament David Cameron said allowing a little drink at family meal time was, in his experience, the best way for youth to learn not to binge drink, The Sun reported Thursday.
"Children should be introduced to the idea that drinking is something you can do socially with a meal and something that is part of life," he said. "Some of the friends I had, the ones who had the biggest problems, were the ones who were never allowed to drink anything at home. The ones who drink responsibly were the ones who were given a glass of wine or a small glass of beer or a shandy. That's the right way to do it in the home."
Cameron's opinion was voiced in response to a teenager's question regarding underage drinking and whether he would favor allowing youth drinking in public places.
The Sun said Cameron answered: "When you're a teenager and you go to parties, normally there are adults there -- so that is fine. The idea of saying we need to create some public space where that happens, that's quite different."
