Half of Australian Parents Think It’s OK for 15 Year Olds to Drink
About half of Australians think that it’s OK for 15-17 year olds to drink at home, so long as they are supervised by parents – an attitude that’s causing frustration to health workers who are striving to spread the word about the dangers of early exposure to alcohol.
Alcohol prevention experts in Australia say they’re frustrated by results from a survey of Australians administered by MBF Healthwatch that has revealed some surprisingly permissive parental attitudes about teen drinking.
When asked about the acceptability of 15-17 year old teens drinking alcohol at home, under supervision from parents:
- 63% of Australians earning more than $100 000 annually agreed with the practice of supervised drinking
- 53% of those earning more than $70 000 annually agreed with the practice
- 48% of those earning more than $40 000 annually agreed with the practice
BUPA Australia Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Bennet, said that although many parents may believe that supervised drinking teaches teens about appropriate social consumption of alcohol, that these parents may be doing harm to their children by allowing these teens, with still developing brains, to consume alcohol.
In describing the harms of early exposure to alcohol, she states, "Evidence suggests that the earlier the age that alcohol is introduced, the greater the risk of long-term alcohol related health problems… Too much alcohol impairs young people's judgment which can lead to violence, injury and build a pattern of use that leads to lifetime dependence.”
Early and heavy exposure to alcohol can also disrupt brain development and function, which can have permanent neurological consequences.
More like this
Scientists Say to Protect Teens from Alcoholism, Don’t Let Them Drink at Home, Even in Moderation!
Dutch researchers say that although parents often try to teach responsible drinking by introducing alcohol to their teen children, that this approach generally backfires, and actually promotes heavier drinking in and out of the house.
Parents Who Get Drunk Teach Their Kids to Do Likewise, Say Researchers
Columbia University researchers have released their annual back to school alcohol and drug use survey of parents and teens. They say that teens that see a parent get drunk are far more likely to also get drunk - just one of many noteworthy facts from this snapshot of real world teen attitudes and substance use.
Survey Reveals That Boredom Drives British Teens to Drink
A British charity survey reveals that teenagers with nothing to do are likely to take advantage of low cost alcohol to get drunk over the summer holidays.
Miller Marketing Alcohol to Kids? 29 Attorney Generals Express Concerns.
Energy drinks with alcohol, that look like regular energy drinks and appear targeted to underage drinkers, have activists seething and Justice Officials concerned.
A Third of Children Get Scared When Watching Adults Drink
BBC researchers questioned over a thousand children and young teens in the UK to find out how watching adults drink (and get drunk) made them feel