Although the drinking age in the United States is 21, very few young people make it to their 21st birthday without trying alcohol at least once. For many, drinking becomes a habit even before they’re legally allowed to buy a drink at a bar or a bottle of wine at a store.
Teens consume alcohol for many reasons, such as social pressure, experimentation, self-medication, and to signal their desire for independence. Unfortunately, underage drinking typically causes more problems for teens than it solves. Early drinking can lead to addiction and a host of other problems.
In the United States, physicians diagnose over 20 million Americans with some form of addiction. Some parents try to prevent alcohol poisoning, addiction, and other consequences of teen drinking by supervising their adolescent’s drinking and taking the “taboo” of alcohol away.
But does this really work? The studies don’t necessarily back this thinking up.
The Thinking Behind Supervised Teen Drinking
Parents who allow their children to drink under certain circumstances have all sorts of reasons for doing so. Many parents believe that allowing their children to have small amounts of alcohol at home or at family gatherings will teach them to consume adult beverages responsibly and make them less likely to drink to excess when they go to a party or off to college.
Others are worried about the safety implications of unsupervised drinking. Parents worry (understandably) that their child might drive drunk and get into an accident or get arrested. They may be concerned about alcohol poisoning, fights, unsafe sex or even rape, and other incidents that sometimes occur when teens drink to excess.
The thinking is that by controlling the environment when the drinking is taking place, kids will be safer and better prepared for the future. Unfortunately, research simply doesn’t back up these popular theories.
Supervision Isn’t the Answer
Bad news for everyone who thinks supervised drinking will make kids less likely to abuse alcohol: the research actually shows the opposite. In one study, researchers discovered that kids who were allowed even a few sips of alcohol under parental supervision were more likely to struggle with addiction and problem drinking than kids whose parents were strict about forbidding alcohol consumption.
Even the argument that addiction rates are no different in cultures that routinely incorporate limited supervised alcohol intake into children’s lives from a relatively young age doesn’t hold up. When one study compared addiction rates among Australian teens vs. American teens, it found that 36% of Australian teens had drinking-related issues by the 9th grade, while just 21% of American teens did.
These findings make the situation clear: supervision isn’t the answer to stopping harmful teen drinking.
Setting the Record Straight
As parents, it’s important to make your expectations about abstaining from alcohol clear and to communicate to your child exactly why underage drinking is so dangerous. Be sure to set clear boundaries and consequences surrounding substance use before it becomes an issue. Instead of just forbidding the activity, however, you should open up an honest and respectful conversation about the subject.
You can start by asking your child what their feelings and views are about alcohol and underage drinking. You can then move on to myths surrounding drinking, any family history of substance abuse, and issues that can arise from drinking in high school and college.
It’s a good idea to help your teen prepare for peer pressure and you should be willing to answer questions as they come up. Keep the conversation open and make it clear that you’re willing to talk anytime. If teens understand exactly why you don’t permit underage drinking, they’ll be more likely to follow the rules.
Lead by Example
We live in a stressful world, and teens and young adults are under a lot of pressure. A survey of college students reveals that 30% of respondents report experiencing overwhelming anxiety. That kind of stress can easily lead to using alcohol as a coping method, often snowballing into addiction and chronic health problems.
As a parent, you must lead by example and demonstrate healthy ways to cope with the pressures of life. Instead of coming home and pouring a drink when you feel stressed, think about other ways you could let off some steam. Go for a run, do some yoga, or read a book and have a cup of tea.
When your teen sees you drink, especially to relieve stress, it sends a powerful message. You can help prevent underage drinking by being a good role model. If you drink at all, don’t overdo it and discuss why it’s okay for adults to drink responsibly. Remember, your child learns by example—and they’ll notice a double standard in a heartbeat.
Preventing underage drinking will help your child stay healthy and addiction-free. It’s not an easy task to teach adolescents about alcohol—but it’s so important for their development and adult well-being.
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