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Supervised Teen Drinking Doesn’t Teach Responsibility

Supervised Teen Drinking Doesn’t Teach Responsibility As prom and graduation season continues, many parents try to avoid issues by allowing drinking at home, but a new study shows it doesn’t work in the long run.

It’s prom and graduation season, which means scores of teens partying the night away – often with the help of alcohol or drugs. What can parents do who are worried about their kids at these after hours (often unsupervised) events?

Some parents try to control the risk by allowing their teens to drink under their supervision. It might seem like a reasonably safe approach – certainly better than letting them out on the roads – but the science shows it's a misguided idea.

A study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs concluded adult-supervised alcohol use resulted in youth experiencing higher instances of alcohol-related consequences. In fact, it found supervised drinking was not a harm-minimization policy at all.

Does Harm-minimization Work?

Most parents take one of two approaches to teen drinking: "harm-minimization" or "zero tolerance." To test those methods, researchers from the Centre for Adolescent Health in Melbourne, Australia, and the Social Development Research group in Seattle surveyed over 1,900 middle school students, following them for three years.

By eighth grade, 67 percent of the students from Victoria had consumed alcohol with an adult present compared to 35 percent who had done the same from Washington. The researchers also learned 36 percent of Australian ninth graders (compared to 21 percent of American students the same age) had experienced alcohol-related consequences, such as not being able to stop drinking, getting into fights after drinking or having alcohol-induced blackouts.

Study Shows Harm-minimization Doesn’t Work

"I think what the study did give was evidence that a very specific aspect of harm-minimization wasn't working as they thought, which was this idea that adults should supervise kids drinking," said Dr. Barbara J. McMorris, University of Minnesota senior research associate and co-author of the research report.

Modeling responsible alcohol use at home doesn't seem to have a carryover effect to teens’ drinking with friends or in other social situations. No matter which continent kids and parents came from, it was clear that the strategy to teach teens responsible drinking habits through supervised consumption was backfiring.

An American Medical Association study reported in 2005 that 25 percent of teens acknowledged they had been at a party where underage drinking was occurring in the presence of a parent. Those are the parents McMorris and her colleagues are hoping the study will reach and teach.

While it can be hard for parents to draw the line, it’s important to remember teens’ brains haven’t finished developing yet and alcohol affects them differently. So don't buy into to that age-old manipulation ploy that “everyone’s doing it.” Alcohol-free parties can become the norm if parents put their foot down and help direct their kids to other ways to make the night memorable. It may be the only way to guarantee a safe prom and graduation season for your teen.

Alcohol Rehab

If you or someone you love is in need of alcohol rehab, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

 

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