EmailSupport for parents
Under-age drinking is a common issue faced by many parents and young people. While current levels of underage drinking are a concern, there is encouraging evidence from the 2008 Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug Survey showing a significant fall in the percentage of young people who have ever consumed alcohol as well as those that have consumed alcohol recently. This shows that more parents and young people are making healthier decisions about drinking alcohol.
Parents who want to know more about the best strategies to help adolescents from misusing alcohol can assess their current parenting practices and obtain help online. The Parenting Strategies: Preventing Adolescent Alcohol Misuse website was developed by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre. It provides parents with evidence-based information about how best to prevent adolescents from misusing alcohol. The website also gives parents the opportunity to assess their current approaches via a survey, with immediate, personalised feedback provided to help them more confidently handle the issue of alcohol use with their child.
The Parenting Strategies: Preventing Adolescent Alcohol Misuse website also gives families practical evidence-based strategies for dealing with the common dilemma of when to allow their children to drink alcohol. Parents who implement the strategies may also reduce the risk that their child will develop alcohol-related problems as a young adult.
Visit the Parenting Strategies: Preventing Adolescent Alcohol Misuse website for further information.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Education, in collaboration with the Australian Drug Foundation, has developed a number of factsheets designed to provide parents with advice about the risks of alcohol use by young people. These fact sheets include information on alcohol and adolescent development, and advice on how to talk to your children, as well as other parents and families about alcohol. These fact sheets can be found on the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website.
