Don't force others to drink

A court has ordered a 69-year-old woman in Kai county, Chongqing, to pay a fine of 330,000 yuan ($53,000) to her brother, who fell down and injured himself after being coaxed by her into drinking about 600-ml of homemade liquor at her birthday party. The fine should be a warning to people who are in the habit of forcing others to drink beyond their capacity, says an article in Legal Daily. Excerpts:

The trend of forcing people to drink is almost like moral kidnapping and some people have taken the practice to absurd lengths by making their targets feel ashamed for not being able to drink beyond their capacity.

People who are used to forcing others to drink might defend themselves by saying alcohol can bring people closer and help develop good relations. But alcohol is not the only tie that binds human beings. On the contrary, it can harm a friendship.

Alcohol-related cases have increased in recent years, the most common being injury or death caused by over-drinking. People who force others to drink against their will should shoulder the responsibility for any accident that follows and be made to pay damages.

Alcohol in itself is not a bad thing. But people have to follow certain principles while drinking. For example, they should never force others to drink. And if someone gets drunk, they should arrange for him /her to be sent home or, if necessary, to a hospital.

With Spring Festival approaching, the presiding judge in the Chongqing case gave a friendly reminder to people to control their alcohol intake and be prepared to pay damages for the deaths or injuries they cause be coaxing and coercing others to drink. In fact, the advice should be followed throughout the year.

Sex education a delicate topic

A kindergarten in Zhengzhou, Henan province, organized a "group wedding ceremony" for about 100 children recently. During the event, the aptly dressed children took the "marital vow", slipped a ring on the fingers of their "partners" and their parents acted as witnesses. But only time will tell whether the event would qualify as part of sex education, says an article in Beijing Morning Post. Excerpts:

Some parents regard the group wedding as "a good lesson for growth" and the kindergarten principal claims it is "good for children's mental health".

The principal also said that the previous "group wedding ceremonies" had helped the participants become more responsible, confident and active, and friendlier with fellow peers.

Introducing sex education in class has always been a difficult topic. Parents will feel embarrassed if the subject is dealt with bluntly, and children will be confused if it is vague.

Efforts to find a clear but non-embarrassing way to provide sex education to children are still continuing.

Since any exploratory education improves gradually, it is important to sum up the successes and failures to avoid the pitfalls and strive to emulate the positive ones.

There is nothing wrong in providing sex education for children, but before accepting the principal's words as true, we should gather more facts to judge his claim.

Also, the government and parents have to find out whether the children have indeed undergone a positive change after the group wedding.

(China Daily 01/17/2013 page9)