Q. I want to respond to your reader who wanted to know why you would disagree with using bourbon as an effective cough suppressant for children.
When I was a child, my mother would give me a tablespoon of whiskey when I had a stomachache. Today, at the age of 42, guess what I am? Yep, an alcoholic (in recovery thank my higher power).
Was the remedy the cause of my alcoholism? I can't help but wonder. A child should never be given alcohol. Period.
A. We’ve heard from readers on both sides of this issue. One reminisced: “My grandparents used the same cough remedy in the 1930's–bourbon, honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I still use it.”
Pediatricians caution parents not to use cough medicines for young children (under 6) because there is no evidence that they work. That is especially true of alcohol-containing cough medicines, home-made or over the counter.