Advice better than alcohol

Teens and drinking

PARENTS are kidding themselves if they believe giving alcohol to their teenagers will limit how much they drink, according to Australian researchers.

But making it clear they do not approve of binge drinking can pay off for parents.

Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute said if teenagers were given alcohol by their parents for school-leaver and other social events, and they drank only that amount, they might drink less overall.

But often that supply was topped up by friends and other sources.

School-leavers given alcohol by their parents still drank an average 15 standard drinks a day during end-of-year celebrations.

The study of 500 Australian 17 and 18-year-olds, published in the Journal of Substance Use, found teenagers whose parents made it clear they disapproved of risky drinking were less likely to drink excessively.

Lead researcher Tina Lam said the findings confirmed the importance of parents being involved and talking about their expectations around drinking to their children.

Dr Lam said despite more young people choosing not to drink in recent years, alcohol- related harm in teenagers was high, driven by those engaging in high-risk drinking.

“This study found parental disapproval of risky drinking was the most reliable protective factor against heavier alcohol consumption,” she said.

“And it was effective even in environments where young people said it felt like everyone around them was drinking, such as school-leaver events.

“Parents may supply their child with alcohol with the best intentions, however this and other research suggests young people often drink more than what their parents supplied.

“Instead, parental supply of alcohol is likely to only be topping up what young people already have access to through their friends.

“And even if they only have exactly the amount their parents give them, it can still be a high quantity — 10 standards drinks in a single sitting.”

Dr Lam said studies also suggested children interpreted parental supply of alcohol as approval for drinking. They were more likely to have highrisk drinking and more alcohol-related harm.

She said parents talking to their children about what they should do if they or their friends were affected by alcohol or other drugs could reduce the risk of harm.