A Little Won't Hurt...Or Will It?

Parents want the best for their children. Good parents would never put their children knowingly into harms way. When it comes to drinking parents generally fall into three categories: drinking alcohol in front of their children as a normal part of life, parents who drink occasionally in front of their children, and parents who abstain alcohol in front of their children or abstain from alcohol altogether.

There is a popular belief which tells parents drinking in moderation in front of their children actually teaches responsible alcohol use. Some parents even allow their children to take small sips of alcohol with them so they can “try it” or even take the mystery of it. However, research is proving it could be more harmful than helpful. 

Here is some startling statistics to help educate yourself:

• According to a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs stated children who sipped alcohol by the sixth grade were 5 times more likely to have a full drink by the time they reached high school and 4 times more likely to get drunk. 
  
• In a study in Rhode Island of middle schoolers, students who had sipped alcohol reported getting the drink from their parent at a party or social event. 26 % of the kids who sipped alcohol had a full drink by the beginning of 9th grade. Of the children who did not sip alcohol only 6 % of those children had a full drink by the beginning of 9th grade. 
  
• In the latest study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reviewed several studies which all cam to the same conclusion. Their conclusion was offering small amounts of alcohol to children are more likely to lead to negative outcomes.
  

Every family has to decide their rules of alcohol use in their house. Depending on what category your family fits it is a good opportunity to educate yourself on research about alcohol use in front of your children and how it could potentially affect them. Just a sip could be a gateway to potentially more negative experiences with alcohol in their future. Think twice before offering a sip of your Pina Colada this summer. 

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