Study: Parents Key to Preventing Underage Drinking
Parents play an influential role in their children's drinking behavior,
according to a study from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
Center.
For the study, researchers at Wake Forest analyzed survey data
from the National Evaluation of the Enforcing Underage Drinking
Laws Program. The telephone survey included 6,245 teens aged 16
to 20 in 242 communities. They were asked about their alcohol usage
and other drinking behaviors in the last 30 days.
The research found that teens were twice as likely to binge drink
and use alcohol within a 30-day period if their parents or friends'
parents provided alcohol at their home for a party.
"Parental approval of underage alcohol use is surprisingly
prevalent," said Kristie Foley, Ph.D., a researcher at Wake
Forest and the principal investigator of the study. "Parents
have good intentions, thinking the teenagers won't drink and drive,
that they are safer staying at home, but it sends the wrong message.
Adolescents interpret this behavior as an approval to drink alcoholic
beverages."
On the other hand, the study also showed that parents who set strict
consequences for breaking the house rules regarding drinking can
help prevent underage drinking. "If a teen thinks he or she
will receive severe punishment, as perceived by the teen, if they
are caught drinking, they are less likely to consume alcoholic beverages,"
Foley said
The study's findings are published in the October 2004 Journal
of Adolescent Health.
Foley, K., Altman, D., Durant, R., & Wolfson, M. (2004). Adults'
approval and adolescents' alcohol use. Journal of Adolescent Health,
35(4): 345-346.
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