Parents' behaviour 'can influence teen drinking'

Parents' behaviour 'can influence teen drinking'
BBC News - Parents' behaviour 'can influence teen drinking'

Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves, a survey of young teenagers has suggested.

Poor parental supervision also raises the likelihood of teenage drinking, said the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The Ipsos MORI survey found the behaviour of friends is also a powerful factor in predicting drinking habits.

The more time teenagers spend with friends, the more likely they are to drink alcohol, it suggested.

In a survey of 5,700 children aged 13 to 16, carried out for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, researchers found one in five claimed to have been drunk by the time they were 14.

By the age of 16, half of those questioned said they had been drunk.

Influences

But the study also looked at what influences excessive teen drinking - and the habits of parents seem to be particularly powerful.

The odds of a teenager getting drunk repeatedly is twice as great if they have seen their parents under the influence, even if only a few times.

And the authors say that parental supervision is also important - if parents don't know where their children are on a Saturday night, or let them watch 18 certificate films unsupervised, they are more likely to have had an alcoholic drink.

Teenagers' friends also have a significant impact on drinking behaviour.

The odds of a teenager drinking to excess more than double if they spend more than two evenings a week with friends.

Spending every evening with friends multiplies the odds of excessive drinking more than four times.

Pamela Bremner from Ipsos MORI, the lead author of the report, said: "For the first time in the UK, this study ranks what most influences young people's drinking behaviour.

"It found that the behaviour of friends and family is the most common influential factor in determining how likely and how often a young person will drink alcohol."

Conflicting evidence

But there is conflicting evidence on how to introduce young people to alcohol - leaving parents with some difficult questions unanswered.

Researchers found mixed messages about the ideal age and ways of introducing teenagers to alcohol.

Generally, those introduced to alcohol at a very young age had greater odds of being a regular drinker and of having been drunk multiple times.

But there were differences in the pattern for young people of different ages.

"This research shows that parents can have more influence on their teenagers' behaviour than perhaps many assumed," said Claire Turner, Programme Manager for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

"Both what parents say, and how they behave, have a strong impact on their teenagers' drinking, drinking regularly, and drinking to excess.

"Being introduced to alcohol at a very young age - for example, under 10 years old - makes it more likely that they will drink and drink to excess as teenagers.

"But there are differences in patterns across the group. So for the older teenagers, if they are introduced to alcohol later in life via friends, away from adult supervision, they are also more likely to drink to excess."

Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said the report confirms that from the beginning of a child's life parents have a strong influence on their children's future drinking patterns.

"Parents have to realise and accept that whether intended or not, their own attitudes towards drinking, their own rate of drinking and any drunkenness are clear signals to children that this is acceptable and standard behaviour.

"In addition, parents must accept that allowing children to drink unsupervised can increase the risk of their children being drunk and this can have harmful consequences.

"Government ministers must also look at some of the causes of why it is so easy for children to obtain alcohol, usually from the home.

"Government should look to see if they've done everything they can to stop the large supermarkets from continuing to heavily promote cheap alcohol which incentivises more alcohol purchases and therefore results in more alcohol being stored in the home."

The Royal College of Physicians also said it was not surprised that being able to access alcohol easily was an important influencing factor on current drinking patterns and drunken-ness of teenagers.

A statement said: "This shows that the government needs to concentrate on increasing the price per unit of alcohol and reducing its availability as their main priorities, and in addition to increase education and national campaigns for both young people and their families on the dangers of alcohol."

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what you think of your opinion?

many million parents had drinking or alcohol problems but its hard to sober for years or lifes..

My father died an alcoholic.

My mother rarely ever had a drink except for special occasions.

I drank occasionally for a few years until I became a Christian at age 28. I haven't had a drink since then (32 years ago).

I disagree! My dad drank and got drunk and I thought it was disgusting the way he choked on his Vodka or Seagrams Seven ! I do not drink because of how my dad acted drunk!

My father was an alcoholic, so were 2 of my siblings....As for myself, I was a social drinker but stopped drinking perhaps 10-15 years ago....after a "wake up" call.

I do not allow any alcohol in my home, or allow anyone to drink alcohol, even a beer, since I have teenage boys at home.

Kids of alcoholic parents have a higher tendancy to become alcoholics if they drink.

My real father was an alcoholic even though he did not raise me. I started drinking and LIKED it too much. Where I had to stop myself since I would constantly think about fixing me that "drink" when I get home.

I may have one drink here and there now. Nothing like I used to. I can count how many drinks I have had in year on one hand.

My mother's family were non drinkers. My father's father died of alcohol poisoning or cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol. My father was an alcoholic. My mother became a casual drinker after she married my father. My oldest brother is a casual drinker. My other brother is a recovering alcoholic who slips now and then. I was a casual drinker, but quit to get married and have not had a drop in 19 years. Hubby tried drinking a little, but kept getting sick. Turns out, he has an allergy.

Children of alcoholics are more at risk for becoming alcoholics and engaging in other self destructive behaviors themselves. It can also skip a generation without significantly reducing the risk.

It can play out in several ways: A child can become an alcoholic, or they can become a tee-totaler, which is another manifestation of the control issues involved in alcoholism. They can become a workaholic, a sex addict, a compulsive gambler, an anorexic or bulemic....all behaviors that manifest in different disorders but have a direct link to the behaviors exhibited by the alcoholic. Just because the child of an alcoholic doesn't drink, doesn't mean that they don't manifest the same behavioral components.

jillio said:

Children of alcoholics are more at risk for becoming alcoholics and engaging in other self destructive behaviors themselves. It can also skip a generation without significantly reducing the risk.

It can play out in several ways: A child can become an alcoholic, or they can become a tee-totaler, which is another manifestation of the control issues involved in alcoholism. They can become a workaholic, a sex addict, a compulsive gambler, an anorexic or bulemic....all behaviors that manifest in different disorders but have a direct link to the behaviors exhibited by the alcoholic. Just because the child of an alcoholic doesn't drink, doesn't mean that they don't manifest the same behavioral components.

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I know y brother who is the alcoholic has a very explosive temper and has had that since childhood. He is very hurtful and hateful. Not sure where that manifested from, but every so often he will realize what he has done, then goes through all the apologies and tears and things will be fine for a few months or so, then it starts again. Currently, his living with the wife he has separated from is not helping. He is staying there until end of August, which is when his daughter turns 18, then he is leaving and will be moving is with my oldest brother for a while. there is a job waiting for him and oldest brother will be taking him back to AA. Younger brother did ask for the help and has agreed to all stipulations. Older brother did mention that there was absolutely no bother me or my mother at all since we have enough going on and have done more than enough for him. He has agreed. He has also agreed to regular urine and blood testing to verify no drugs or alcohol in system. that was what he had to agree to before getting the job. Younger brother sees this as a way to restart his life and has said he will not screw it up. I'm hopeful that at 49, he might make it this time, but I am only going to remain hopeful and wish him the best.

my family is influence to my sister alcoholic pretty terrible screw up! family fault they mistake fault!

jillio said:

Children of alcoholics are more at risk for becoming alcoholics and engaging in other self destructive behaviors themselves. It can also skip a generation without significantly reducing the risk.

It can play out in several ways: A child can become an alcoholic, or they can become a tee-totaler, which is another manifestation of the control issues involved in alcoholism. They can become a workaholic, a sex addict, a compulsive gambler, an anorexic or bulemic....all behaviors that manifest in different disorders but have a direct link to the behaviors exhibited by the alcoholic. Just because the child of an alcoholic doesn't drink, doesn't mean that they don't manifest the same behavioral components.

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Women are more likely have a food addiction and that is to sugary food and the men to drinking! This is what happen in my family. There are 3 girls and one boy. My ex brother is drunk and my sisters and I like sweets. But my older sister does not eat sweets anymore. I never drank because I knew I would end up like dad as I am a lot like him.

My grandfather is an alcoholic and my father is a pot'holic. I can't drink since I get sick easily and don't do drug either since I seen the consequences. I seen them drinking all the time, getting drunk or getting 'messed' up and I learned from that action. It influence me not to do it!

children of alcoholics are influenced two way -
one by learned behavior,
two by genes,

it is proven that tendency to alcoholism can be genetic
Alcoholism - Is Alcoholism Inherited?
Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that alcoholism definitely has a genetic component. In 1990, Blum et al. proposed an association between the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene and alcoholism. The DRD2 gene is the first candidate gene that has shown promise of an association with alcoholism (Gordis et al., 1990).

hence hereditary (it can be passed from parents or grandparents to children)

That's why some people find alcohol so strangely tempting, so alluring
and get hooked on drinking fast while other can drink a lot at parties
and nothing ever happens.


If you grew up in alcoholic household, you learned how to handle stress and stressful situation from your alcoholic parents by example -
by drinking, and often, sadly, a violent outbursts -
and either you hated it and now you
hate drinking and drinkers, or you hated it but followed an example
and are an alcoholic yourself.
Just like somebody else already wrote it.

why do children of alcoholics drink if they hated it?
well -the genes, the tendency is there making it easier to get hooked,
and also the children of abusive alcoholics are often isolated making it hard
to be around other families, and hence other examples
how other people handle stress different, better ways -
so, they just don't know, in a nutshell.

and indeed children of alcoholics may substitute the addictive behavior
with food, hence overeating, bulimia, anorexia
or they can become workaholics, or emotionally distant and unavailable because their trust was broken over and over by an alcoholic
so they have trouble trusting anybody ever again, etc.

Fuzzy

For the part of introducing children to alcohol, I would have to say that it also depends on their social live outside of the home...

- If the kids aren't popular among their classmates, they may become depressed and turn to alcohol.

- If they kids aren't popular among their classmates, they may use alcohol to make themselves popular.

- If the kids are popular, they may use alcohol to maintain their popularity or to become more popular.

- They may use alcohol to get more friends

- They may see movies with alcohol and now that they have alcohol in their lives, they get more curious about it.

Of course, it could depend on how parents introduce them to alcohol and what kind of alcohol they drink.

I add my two cents.

Mom was a social drinker, but stopped because it messed up her diabetes.

Dad has the (bad) tendency to drink too much at party, he enjoys a glass of wine when he eats at restaurant but when he is with friends, or at Christmas, he drinks too much and drives under the influence of alcohol.
I am wondering what can I do to protect my 7 years old half brother from such an harmful example.
Last year at Christmas, my sister and I (at the beginning, she refused but I stayed so firm that at the end, she understood and accept) forbade daddy to take his car to go back home, and my sister accompanied him to the taxi despite all protestations in family.
Well, I am quite worried about this situation, dad who drinks excessively each time there is a party and drive.
Do you think that advising the French driving license authority and make him having a medical exam may be a good solution ? Is there any other solution to make him understand that he has to choose between driving and drinking but that he can't do both ? Each time I try to discuss this subject, he becomes quite aggressive, he doesn't stand that I, his daughter, make him aware that he has a dangerous behavior, as for himself but moreover, for his son.
His wife doesn't know what to do despite all her warnings (her wife is not my mother).
My mom is not enough firm with this kind of dangerous behaviors : she has a real problem about setting limits even to her friends when they drive while having drunk. She has a real problem with setting limits, except with my sister or I, and especially when it deals about health. Even when she has to be in a very harmful situation (with administration, for example) because she is too upset about setting limits : she is so nice with them that she makes herself eat raw, as we say in French (she slips into a very harmful situation, very difficult to get out).
And when I or someone else sets limits, like a physician, she becomes furious. When a doctor sets limits to her, she changes physician. But like everyone she needs to set limits to other people, not only to her children, but also to administrations, to people with an authority etc.... And she has to accept that her physician sets limits to her, for her health, for her own good (of course, if her physician can't stand her green shirt, it's beyond his role of being a physician. But if he says that mom really has to exercise 30 minutes a day and mom doesn't stand being told something like that, the physician makes his job of being a doctor. If mom refuses to be told that she endangers her health from a doctor, it means that she has a real problem and needs to work over it). She will make a fuss about a spot on the tee-shirt or if pants and blouse are matching, whereas she is not concerned at all about if her friend is driving while drunk. For me, it's a real problem, as the consequences are far from being of equal degree of gravity (it's a much more serious matter when you drive while drunk, as the consequences are much more damaging. The consequences are not as serious when you have a spot on your tee-shirt).
She has also the problem of giving up at the first difficulty, however, now that she is creating her business, she works on this matter : when you create a business, you have plenty of difficulties, you can't give up at the first one.
I accept when GP or a friend says : "doing that, you are endangering your health". It's not pleasant to hear, but I have to accept it because it's a reality

I have drunk alcohol once at 10 yo, and the memory of vomiting after two glasses of cider (with only 2° of alcohol) vaccinated me against drinking.
I have never tolerated alcohol, even as an adult with a drop of wine (a drop of wine makes me sleepy and dizzy).
As I become sick each time I drink even a drop of alcohol, I don't see why I have to be sick just to please friends. And even more, if I have to be sick to please friends, they have no respect for me, so they are not friends. As simple as that (a parent who doesn't protect a child's physical health can't absolutely love his child, even if he cries about his fake love for his child. I think about parents of obese children, or obese women who want to be pregnant whereas they always make themselves excuses about not losing weight : being pregnant while obese endangers the baby to be health, she can't wish to have a baby but just a toy to play with and which she'll throw up after she is fed up with playing with. This kind of person pretends to suffer, but they don't. They created their problem, and then, come and cry while pretending to suffer about the problem they created themselves ? They don't need help, just be given a kick in the ass and make them stop crying for their fake suffering).