A relatively high number of American families have subscribed to the theory of, “keep it in house” when it comes to underage drinking, with the hope that doing so will create a safe environment for kids to “get it out of their system.” Sadly, parents mistakenly believe letting kids drink alcohol early discourages later use when in fact, this opposite reaction is produced.
Does “Lax” Parenting Strategy Really Work
A surprising number of US parents employ the strategy of “safe” early exposure to drinking, believing that by providing alcohol to their youth they are:
1. Establishing their own image as a “cool” parent.
2. Giving their children a safer platform from which to experience drinking.
A recent study conducted by the University of North Carolina and RTI International analyzed over a thousand child-parent duos to ascertain information about the existence of this apparently lax parenting strategy.
A shocking 40% of mothers said that they felt by expressing disapproval of drinking or banning alcohol altogether, that they would simply be making the activity more appealing. Further, at least 33% of the 3rd grade student participants in the study admitted they had already had an alcoholic drink of some kind.
While many parents feel the “forbidden fruit” approach to alcohol is non-optimum, the study indicates that parents mistakenly believe letting kids drink alcohol early discourages later use. In fact, it was found that 5th graders with parents who allowed them to drink at home were two times more likely to report alcohol use in the coming years. In other words, the kids whose parents taught them “safe drinking” at home were doubly likely to replicate these behaviors in the near-future by practicing underage drinking outside of the house.
Strong Link Exists Between Early Drinking and Late Substance Abuse
It was discovered in 2011 by a national study that kids aged 12-14 who admitted to drinking, obtained their alcohol from their own families. Further, SAMSHA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) found that youth who start drinking under the age of 15 are six times more likely to develop substance abuse habits and problems—compared to those individuals who begin drinking at the legal age of 21.
Nowadays it is not uncommon to find alcohol abuse beginning as early as 13 and 14 years of age, and this is a substance abuse issue affecting more than just Americans. The Irish, British and Canadian governments alike struggle with keeping youth drug and alcohol-free in their formative teenage years. Experts agree that a large part of the problem is parents allowing their teens to consume alcohol at home.
Legal Implications Of Supporting Underage Drinking
Perhaps parents might take the issue more seriously if they were aware of the full legal risk of encouraging underage alcohol consumption. Despite these activities occurring in your own home, serious legal threat looms over the head of anyone who dare try such an activity.
Recently, an extreme example surfaced when a woman from Phoenix was arrested and charged with child abuse after providing her 2-year-old toddler with beer in his sippy cup. For a parent that has a teen and is support alcohol use, it is a major problem. Giving alcohol to a toddler is basically one form of child abuse where much so much damage is being done to a child, too early.
The Narconon organization recommends that any parent who is supporting or taking part in underage drinking be educated on the dangers and risks of alcohol as well as the potential for addiction. For more information on this topic or to get help contact twitter.com/narconon.