Kids Who Drink at Home Drink More Everywhere

What are your thoughts about allowing your kids to drink alcohol at home? Some parents feel that letting kids drink at home gives them a safe place to try out alcohol. However, researchers have found that kids who are allowed to drink at home drink more everywhere.

A team of European researchers set out to test the theory that parents can guide their teenagers into drinking responsibly by serving them alcohol. They looked at 428 Dutch families with two children between the ages of 13 and 15.Parents and teens completed questionnaires on drinking habits at the outset and again one and two years later.

The study results, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, found that the more teenagers were allowed to drink at home, the more they drank outside of home.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has established April 21st as the day to start talking to your teens about alcohol. Parents who talk to their teens about drinking have teens who drink less. April 21st was selected since MADD would like parents to encourage their kids to wait until they are 21 before drinking.

If you want ideas about talking to your kids about drinking, MADD offers a free handbook to get you started. Don't delay, start the conversation today!