TALK WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT ALCOHOL

The Chance That Children Will Use Alcohol Increases as They Get Older. 

About 10 percent of 12-year-olds say they have tried alcohol, but by age 15, that number jumps to 50 percent. The sooner you talk to your children about alcohol, the greater chance you have of influencing their decisions about drinking.[1]

Parents Play a Critical Role in Children’s Decisions to Experiment with Alcohol. 

Studies have shown that parents have a significant influence on young people’s decisions about alcohol consumption,[2]  especially when parents create supportive and nurturing environments in which their children can make their own decisions.[3] In fact, around 80 percent of children feel that parents should have a say in whether they drink alcohol.[4],[5]

The Conversation Is Often More Effective Before Children Start Drinking. 

If you talk to your kids directly and honestly, they are more likely to respect your rules and advice about alcohol use.

Some Children May Try Alcohol as Early as 9 Years Old. 

Most 6-year-olds know that alcohol is only for adults. Between the ages of 9 and 13, children start to view alcohol more positively. Many children begin to think underage drinking is OK. Some even start to experiment. It is never too early to talk to your children about alcohol.[6]

If You Do Not Talk About It, You Are Still Saying Something. 

What you say to your children about alcohol is up to you. But remember, parents who do not discourage underage drinking may have an indirect influence on their children’s alcohol use.[7]

It is important to:[8]

• Talk early and often, in developmentally appropriate ways, with children and teens about your concerns—and theirs—regarding alcohol. Adolescents who know their parents’ opinions about youth drinking are more likely to fall in line with their expectations.

• Establish policies early on, and be consistent in setting expectations and enforcing rules. Adolescents do feel that parents should have a say in decisions about drinking, and they maintain this deference to parental authority as long as they perceive the message to be legitimate; consistency is central to legitimacy.

• Work with other parents to monitor where kids are gathering and what they are doing. Being involved in the lives of adolescents is key to keeping them safe.

• Work in and with the community to promote dialogue about underage drinking and the creation and implementation of action steps to address it.

• Be aware of your State’s laws about providing alcohol to your own children.

• Never provide alcohol to someone else’s child.

To help parents in preventing and reducing adolescent alcohol and drug use, The Partnership at Drugfree.org provides information and tools through its website, its community education programs, and its public service messages.  Other web resources: www.theantidrug.com, www.timetotalk.org- Great Parent Talk Kit, www.drugfreeactionalliance.org, www.drugfree.org.  Parents, family, and friends of kids please make sure to check out these sites or contact the SAFE Coalition for more information on issues that kids are facing today.  Van Buren County SAFE Coalition: 319-293-3334 ext. 1017, info@vbsafecoalition.com or check us out online at www.vbsafecoalition.com and on Facebook – Van Buren County SAFE Coalition. 

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References

[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Educators. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.

[2] Nash, S.G., McQueen, A., and Bray, J.H. (2005). Pathways to adolescent alcohol use: Family environment, peer influence, and parental expectations. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37(1), 19–28.

[3] Barnes, G.M., Reifman, A.S., Farrell, M.P., and Dintcheff, B.A. (2000). The effects of parenting on the development of adolescent alcohol misuse: A six-wave latent growth model. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(1), 175–186.

[4] Jackson, C. (2002). Perceived legitimacy of parental authority and tobacco and alcohol use during early adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health 31(5), 425–432.

[5] Nash, S.G., McQueen, A., and Bray, J.H. (2005). Pathways to adolescent alcohol use: Family environment, peer influence, and parental expectations. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37(1), 19–28.

[6] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Educators. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.

[7] Sieving, R.E., Maruyama, G., Williams, C.L., and Perry, C.L. (2000). Pathways to adolescent alcohol use: Potential mechanisms of parent influence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10(4), 489–514.

[8] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007