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7th July 2010

A Norfolk MP has said that adults should take their drinking back into the pub and out of the homes.

Tory Member George Freeman said that low alcohol prices in supermarkets and more relaxed attitudes to drinking were bad examples to young people.

The remarks were made after a Childwise survey for BBC Newsround found that 30% of 10-14 year olds were “scared” when their parents consumed alcohol.

The survey suggested current behaviours would encourage a new generation of binge drinkers.

The Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk said: “It’s ridiculous that we have perfectly good pubs and yet there’s people, and particularly young people, who are out on the street binge drinking.

“The pub used to be a place where people would learn to drink socially and responsibly, under the supervision of adults.

“But now they’re not being used. That’s not just bad for the pub, but bad for the community as well, as these binge drinking trends show.”

Childwise research director Rosemary Duff told the BBC it was also a concern that nearly half of children were "not bothered" by drunkenness, which pointed towards drinking culture becoming "ingrained".

Horseshoes Inn landlord John Longhorn said that young adults were encouraged to drink in his pub, but most don’t want to drink responsibly.

“We’d get many more young people in here if we were serving Jaegermeister. But don’t drink because it’s social – they drink because they want to get drunk.

“The problem is not about the alcohol, it’s about the whole of society.”