Parents’ drinking stories from youth influence young people’s alcohol use

Teenagers whose parents treat drunkenness as a normal part of growing up drink nearly three times as much as other young people, according to a new study from the University of Southern Denmark’s Institute of Public Health.

The teenagers in that group reported drinking an average of 13 drinks a week. They were also more likely to hear amusing stories about their parents’ drinking when they were young and to consume five or more drinks at a single event.

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It is a marked difference. Our results suggest that parents’ attitudes are not merely something happening in the background.

By contrast, teenagers who did not experience the same parental attitude drank an average of 4.9 drinks per week. Sixteen percent of 15- to 17-year-olds said their parents expected them to wait before drinking alcohol, and this group drank about half as much as those without that expectation at home.

The research drew on qualitative interviews with teenagers aged 14 to 17 and a questionnaire completed by more than 2,700 people aged 15 to 17. The researchers stressed that the study identifies an association rather than proving a direct cause, but said parental behavior still appears to shape young people’s relationship with alcohol.

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Although parents may wonder whether talking about alcohol and making agreements with their children makes a difference, our results suggest that young people listen, and that parents can influence their child’s relationship with alcohol.

“Although parents may wonder whether talking about alcohol and making agreements with their children makes a difference, our results suggest that young people listen, and that parents can influence their child’s relationship with alcohol,” said Professor Janne Tolstrup, one of four researchers behind the report.

At the same time, 73 percent of 17-year-olds said their parents thought it was acceptable to get drunk. Researcher Sofie Kruckow called that result notable, pointing out that Denmark’s Health Authority recommends that people under 18 avoid alcohol. Even the oldest participants in the study, she said, are not old enough to drink from a health perspective.

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The Danish Health Authority recommends that young people under 18 do not drink alcohol, so even the oldest people in our study are still not old enough to drink from a health perspective.