New research led by Flinders University is expanding the understanding of parents’ attitudes towards supplying alcohol to their underage children.

Published in the Health Promotion International journal, the new study surveyed more than 1,000 Australian parents with children aged 12-17 years, to evaluate their motives, beliefs and attitudes in supplying alcohol to their children.

“We wanted to understand parents’ attitudes and perceptions about alcohol consumption in adolescence, and how these contribute to the provision of alcohol to their children,” says lead author, Professor Jacqueline Bowden, Director of the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University.

“Alcohol is the leading individual risk factor for death and disability in 15 to 24-year-olds globally. Inadvertently, parents are playing a key role in this burden as the most common source of alcohol for Australian adolescents who drink.

“Parents often have the mistaken belief that it is a safe way to teach ‘responsible drinking’, but evidence shows that parental supply actually increases the chance of risky drinking.

“The good news is that parents can be a part of the solution. They are the greatest resource we have, and we must listen to their experiences and work together to foster healthier attitudes toward youth drinking,” she adds.

It is the first study to examine parents’ attitudes and perceptions to supplying alcohol to adolescents incorporating the concept of a ‘social clock’ – the concept that there are universally accepted ages for social behaviours such as drinking and getting married.

“Worryingly, more than 40 per cent of parents surveyed nominated an acceptable drinking age of 17 years old or younger despite the recommendation being 18 years or older,” says Professor Bowden.

“We also found a disconnect between what parents believe is happening within their community and their own practices.

“Only 11 per cent admitted to supplying alcohol for unsupervised use, despite 45 per cent believing that this practice was common among their peers indicating that parents often view community attitudes toward supplying alcohol as more lenient than their own.”

In total, 1,197 parents completed the survey. Key findings included:

• Parents are more likely to supply alcohol if they believe other parents supply alcohol
• Believing it is acceptable to drink alcohol under 18 years increases odds of supply
• Parents who view alcohol as beneficial for adolescents are more likely to supply alcohol
• Parents who view alcohol as harmful for adolescents are less likely to supply alcohol
• Targeting these factors in interventions may influence parents’ supply intentions

Co-author Dr Ashlea Bartram says this Australian research expands their understanding of the kind of information that would be useful for parents.

“The good news is that more and more teens are choosing not to drink alcohol – it’s not the social lubricant it may have been when parents were teenagers,” says Dr Bartram.

“One of the best things parents can do is have open conversations with their children about alcohol – set rules but be prepared to discuss them.”

The article, ‘Australian parents’ attitudes, perceptions, and supply of alcohol to adolescents: A national cross-sectional survey’ by Jacqueline Bowden, Ashlea Bartram, Nathan Harrison, Christina Norris, Susan Kim, Simone Pettigrew, Ian Olver, Rebecca Jenkinson, Marina Bowshall, Caroline Miller and Robin Room was published in Health Promotion International journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae173

For support or advice contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015

Acknowledgements:  This work was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (GNT115706 to J.A.B.) and produced with the financial and other support of Cancer Council SA’s Beat Cancer Project on behalf of its donors and the State Government of South Australia Department of Health. The NCETA team receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to support research regarding alcohol and other drugs.