U.K. PARENTS LOOSEN UP OVER KIDS' DRINKING, SEXUALITY

British parents are becoming more relaxed in their attitudes to
drinking, drugs and sexuality, according to a poll on yesterday.

Parents said that on average they would be happy for their child to
start having the occasional alcoholic drink at home from the age of
13.

One parent in 10 was fine with their children drinking regularly from
the age of 16 -- two years below the legal age limit for buying
alcohol in Britain.

The findings indicate that government health warnings over under-age
drinking are falling on deaf ears.

Last year the government recommended that parents should not let their
children drink any alcohol at all until they are 15.

Attitudes to illegal drugs were also relaxed, according to the poll,
with 32 per cent of parents saying they did not mind their child
smoking cannabis as a one-off and eight per cent comfortable with them
smoking the drug regularly.

A large number of parents -- 30 per cent -- were open to the idea that
drug-taking by kids was simply a part of growing up.

"The old fashioned parent is fast becoming a cultural minority as moms
and dads do their best to give their kids the freedoms they did not
have," said Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of
Kent.

"As far as parents are concerned, sex, alcohol and even drugs are no
longer no-go areas for their children. Families have become
surprisingly open-minded about allowing their children to experiment
and find their own way in life."

The survey of 3,000 people to coincide with the DVD release by 20th
Century Fox of the comedy Modern Family also revealed British parents
have also become tolerant of their child's sexuality.

Sixty-six per cent of those surveyed said they would have no problem
with their child being gay.