Although some parents believe they can teach their kids “responsible drinking” by allowing them to drink at home and providing the alcohol, a new review of 22 studies concludes that this view is misguided. The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reports that researchers studied the association between parental provision of alcohol and teen drinking, and found that it leads to an increase in teen alcohol use. In some cases, parental provision of alcohol led to increased heavy episode drinking and higher rates of alcohol-related problems. The researchers recommend that parents discourage drinking until the legal age of 21.
Parents who provide alcohol and a place to drink it for their teens are ignoring the law and could be prosecuted for serving minors alcohol, or held liable if the person who was provided alcohol is killed or injured, or kills or injures another person. Most research suggests that kids who aren’t allowed to drink at home, and have higher levels of parental supervision, are much less likely to drink outside the home in high school and college.
Some tips for parents to remember:
- Be clear with your kids that you disapprove of underage drinking
- Limit access to alcohol in your home and ask other adults to do the same
- Think about what your kids hear. Sometimes we unintentionally send kids the message that we need alcohol to cope with problems or have a good time
- Set rules ahead of time for parties and make sure an adult is home to check up on them
- Talk early and talk often! DrugFreeAZKids.org has some great ways for parents to get a conversation going about the dangers of underage drinking for 7-9th graders and also 10th – 12th graders.
