# I just found out my drunk uncles used to give me alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884 "2003-12-04T06:12:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/21 "2003-12-05T07:51:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by icephoenix \* > \*\*And besides, any minor “brain damage” it might have caused probably would’ve been undone, right? At least my brain still had several more years to develop… Or is my logic wrong? \*\* Not necessarily. Again, IANAD, but you never have more neurons than when you are born. Your brain grow not by multiplying the number of neurons, but the number of synapses, or connections between neurons. Damage at an early age is probably likely to interfere with the natural development of the brain. I found [a very good article](http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/focus/earlybrain.cfm) that covers the effects of trauma on early brain development. It doesn’t address alcohol intoxication, but it will give you an idea as to why your logic is wrong. > [@](#): > > Maltreatment during infancy and early childhood has been shown to negatively affect early brain development and can have enduring repercussions into adolescence and adulthood. As mentioned earlier, the experiences of infancy and early childhood literally provide the organizing framework for the expression of children’s intelligence, emotions, and personalities. When those experiences are primarily negative, children may develop emotional, behavioral, and learning problems that persist throughout their lifetime, especially in the absence of targeted interventions. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/22 "2003-12-05T15:46:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by icephoenix \* > \*\*I thought it was “sick” that he would knowingly let me sip beer as a very young child for amusement purposes, knowing that it could be harmful for me. If my dad had found out when I was a little kid I’m sure he would’ve been furious. \*\* So, do you think my grandmother was “sick” for knowingly, and intentionally giving me a shot of whiskey in my Hot Toddy? For letting me have a tiny glass of wine at Christmas? Do you think **Zazie’s** parents were “sick” for letting him/her sip their wine? Do you think it’s “sick” for a parent to give their child cough syrup? I’m not trying to be confrontational, I’m just asking. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/23 "2003-12-05T15:50:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by icephoenix \* > \*\*I thought it was “sick” that he would knowingly let me sip beer as a very young child for amusement purposes, knowing that it could be harmful for me. \*\* I’m not convinced a few sips would be harmful. A beer every Saturday night, danger zone; a couple kid-sized gulps- how could that do any damage? Anyway, my elders say that I loved beer so much at two that they had to cut me off (shades of my twenties), but hated it by five. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/24 "2003-12-05T17:57:29Z")
What?! huh!? My parents are sick ?! 😉 Just teasing. The point is I am sure a sip of alcohol is no problem even for a small child. No, I don’t have a study prooving my point. I just know it! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/25 "2003-12-05T18:18:45Z")
But then again, even moderate alcohol consumption might have [effects](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-920730,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/26 "2003-12-05T18:23:29Z")
Yeah, so does smoking, and barbecuing, and too much sun, and not enough tomatoes, and not being nice to your mom, blah blah blah… Keyword : moderation ---
**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/27 "2003-12-05T18:41:21Z")
Perhaps someone is looking to sue some of their relatives because they are angry at the world. Wasn’t there a lot of this ten years ago with the whole repressed memory thing where people “suddenly” remember satanic torture when they were children. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/28 "2003-12-05T18:55:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zazie \* > \*\*Yeah, so does smoking, and barbecuing, and too much sun, and not enough tomatoes, and not being nice to your mom, blah blah blah… > > Keyword : moderation \*\* Umm, the article I linked to, says that even **moderate** alcohol consumption can affect the brain. I’m not an advocate for or against alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/29 "2003-12-05T19:01:52Z")
Well I choose not to believe that study 😉 I was just teasing Gyan9! ---
**Author:** ![Sarcastro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sarcastro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarcastro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/30 "2003-12-05T21:43:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > \*\*I’m not trying to be confrontational, I’m just asking. \*\* Seems to me that by “sick,” icephoenix meant the “for amusement purposes” part. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/31 "2003-12-06T06:08:32Z")
**Zazie and Lissa:** Yes, Sarcastro is right. I doubt your relatives let you drink alcohol to get a good laugh. Their intentions were probably less ridiculous that my uncles’ were. Anyways, I’m probably just exaggerating it in my mind. It probably wasn’t all that bad. :-\ I turned out… alright! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/32 "2003-12-06T07:27:43Z")
Tho’ some might say there is something jsut a _bit_ maladjsuted about the combination of “phoenix” and “ice”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/33 "2003-12-06T08:26:46Z")
Remember that until fairly recently, beer or wine were the only really safe beverages for kids (or anyone) to drink! All thru the ages, water was frequently contaminated, milk was un-pasturized (Pasteur hadn’t even been born yet) and often only available during certain times of the year. So beer, where the slight alcohol content would kill off many germs, was the safest and most common drink. Even in the 1700’s & early 1800’s municipal water supplies of big cities like London were known to be sources of contagion. Cholera & other diseases from unsafe water were very common, and contributed greatly to the high infant mortality. As for boiling water before drinking it, even if they had known that, these are mostly poor people who barely had fuel to heat their houses, certainly none for boiling water. So children have been drinking beer regularily for the last few thousand years, and the species seems to have survived reasonably well. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/34 "2003-12-06T08:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > \*\*(…) jsut (…) maladjsuted (…) \*\* Drinking much, lately? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/35 "2003-12-06T09:21:56Z")
Its best to combine alchohol and DXM,another life lesson learned from the simpsons.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884/36 "2003-12-06T11:53:39Z")
My mom would give me Fuzzy Navels when I was younger if I couldn’t sleep, or if I wanted one. Well, all told, that wasn’t very much. Like a juice glass worth a month. As a teen, I could pretty much have as many as I wanted. _Maybe_ one a week, if I was under a lot of stress. Usually, one every few months. And I’m okay. No alcoholism here. And I already knew what it tasted like, so I knew it was pretty nasty. And it wasn’t Forbidden, so drinking never gave me any sort of tennage thrill. All in all, i think my mom handled alcohol wisely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-my-drunk-uncles-used-to-give-me-alcohol/216884.md?page=1)