INISHOWEN parents have
been urged to reflect on the findings of new
research showing that children who see their parents
drunk are twice as likely to get drunk themselves.
The research, from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation,
also indicates that poor parental supervision raises
the likelihood of teenage drinking if the child’s
friends drink.
North West Alcohol Forum director, Eamon O’Kane,
said Ireland's drinking culture was a "major threat
to public health".
"What this latest research re-enforces is the role
of adults in influencing the alcohol consumption
behaviour of young people. Society has often
stigmatised youth drinking, but this research again
confirms that adult behaviour must also change if we
are to reduce underage drinking.”
In a UK survey of 5,700 children aged 13 to 16,
researchers found one in five claimed to have been
drunk by the time they were 14. By the age of 16,
half of those questioned said they had been drunk.
The study showed that the habits of parents was
particularly powerful in influencing teen drinking.
It revealed that the odds of a teenager getting
drunk repeatedly was twice as great if they have
seen their parents under the influence, even only a
few times.
Teenagers' friends also have a significant impact on
drinking behaviour, the study showed, with the odds
of a teenager drinking to excess more than doubling
if they spent more than two evenings a week with
friends.
“This report confirms that, whether intended or not,
the parent's attitude towards drinking, their own
drinking and drunkenness, set a benchmark for their
child in regard to what is acceptable and standard
behaviour.
"Furthermore, it asks questions about the easy
availability of alcohol, as many young people access
their alcohol at home," added Mr O'Kane. |
