Parents: Introduction

Parents or caregivers are the most influential members of a child’s life. The actions you take on the use of alcohol and control of alcohol availability in your home serve as a role model for your child. Any expectations that your child develops in relation to drinking behaviors are influenced by the norms you establish and the communication you have with your child. Studies show that children, whose parents play an active role in their lives, talk openly with them, attend school events, and listen to their problems, are less likely to drink or smoke.

Yet, how do you talk to your child about alcohol use or identify the symptoms in your child of alcohol use, even excessive use? What strategies and approaches can you take to minimize the chances that your child will drink alcohol, especially binge drink?

The following questions are asked and discussed in this section*:

• Do you know how to discuss alcohol use with your child and where to get information to help you?
• Do you know your child's friends, and do you feel that they provide positive influences on your child's activities?
• Do you know the extent of drinking by children in your neighborhood and how to find local organizations that are working on the issue?
• Do you know the legal consequences if your child is caught drinking alcohol?
• Do you know your State's laws about providing alcohol to anyone under 21?

*These questions are adapted from Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a coalition of Governors’ spouses, Federal agencies, and public and private organizations. Leadership is a national effort that specifically targets prevention of drinking in the 9- to 15-year-old age group. http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/

“Parents need to know that alcohol use can also be a warning sign or a cry for help that something is seriously wrong in a child’s life.”
-Nelba Chavez, PhD, SAMHSA administrator

Myth:  All teenagers will drink at some point, no matter how we try to stop them.
Fact:  Although underage drinking is a serious problem, 81 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 have chosen NOT to drink in the past year.

Myth:  My son or daughter knows everything about drinking, so we don’t need to talk about it. Fact:  Many teenagers have dangerous misconceptions about alcohol—for example, they don’t realize that wine coolers have the same alcohol content as a shot of distilled spirits, or they think they can sober up by drinking coffee or getting fresh air.

Myth: What parents say or do won’t make any difference; teens only listen to their friends. Fact: Parents can be very influential. A study of adolescents and their families conducted by the Research Institute on Addictions revealed that adolescent girls and boys, regardless of race or income level, whose parents supervise their friendships and activities, are less likely to engage in problem behaviors, including drinking.

Myth:  He only drinks beer. It’s a phase—he’ll get over it, just like I did.
Fact:  Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 or younger are four times more likely to develop problems of alcohol use and dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older. Many engage in binge drinking, which is drinking five or more drinks on one occasion. Some people mistakenly believe that beer and wine are light in alcohol content, when in fact they have the same alcohol content.

Myth: It’s okay for young people to drink, just as long as they don’t drive. The worst that can happen is that he’ll wake up with a terrible hangover.
Fact:  Wrong. If you drink a lot of alcohol quickly, it can build up in your body so much that you can die from alcohol poisoning within only a few hours. As well, you’re more prone to injury, which can be serious or fatal. And, anyone who drinks and drives could severely injure or kill someone—including themselves.

Myth:  Alcohol is not such a big deal, compared with illicit drugs.
Fact:  Alcohol is a factor in the three leading causes of deaths among 14- and 15-year olds:  unintentional injuries, homicides, and suicides.

Myth: Teens can’t become alcoholics because they haven’t been drinking long enough. Fact: You can develop alcoholism at any age. It depends on how much and how often you drink. As well, heavy drinking and binge drinking by anyone can be very harmful, whether or not they’re alcohol-dependent.