Research recap: the impacts of drinking alcohol in front of your kids

It’s estimated that 40% of Australian parents drink in front of their children at least weekly, with fathers more likely than mothers to do this. Parents’ drinking, their attitude towards alcohol, and parents supplying alcohol, all play a role in their children’s alcohol consumption and attitudes. A new study has provided insights into the ages that children and teenagers are most influenced by parents drinking in front of them. Using nationally representative Australian data collected across 23 years, the average drinking of mothers and fathers was mapped to 6,650 children.

The study found that the influence of parental drinking on their children’s later drinking is strongest during middle adolescence, when children are aged 15-17. Influence then declines through the 20s but increases again at ages 28-37, particularly among people who have become parents themselves. The influence and relationship between parents and children were also found to be strongest between mother-to-daughter and father-to-son. Findings of the study also reinforced that drinking patterns established in early adulthood often persist into later life.

This new research further adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the key role parents play in influencing and informing young people’s attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol.

Research has shown that the earlier a young person starts drinking the more likely they are to report hazardous drinking in young adulthood. Greater alcohol related harms and likelihood of developing an alcohol use disorder are also seen among people who start drinking alcohol before age 18. This reiterates the importance of delaying alcohol use among young people for as long as possible.