Conversations about alcohol should start early and continue often. Even young children can understand the difference between right and wrong and appreciate the context that helps answer their “why” or “why not” questions.
How might conversations about alcohol begin?
A discussion between you and your spouse about who will drive home after dinner with drinks while kids are present
A reminder to your teen as they head out the door
A chat with your tween when they ask for a sip of your cocktail
A news article about a drunk driving crash or other alcohol-involved incident
A key ingredient of every conversation should be “responsibility.” That is why we inspire a lifetime of conversations around alcohol responsibility that include mindfulness, reflection, safety, and connection. These talks are not “one and done,” nor do they have to be conducted formally—the more frequent and the more natural the better. And not every conversation is about alcohol – teaching kids to make healthy, responsible decisions can happen every day. Using current events or things you and your kids are seeing is a great place to start.
Parents are the #1 influence on their kids’ decisions to drink—or not to drink—alcohol. Keep talking; keep asking questions; keep modeling responsible behaviors; and keep listening.
It’s not too early and it’s not too late to start having conversations! Check out some of these facts to share with kids:
An impressive number of kids don’t drink:
- Underage drinking rates are at or near low levels and below pre-pandemic prevalence rates and more than 6 out of 10 teens report they have never consumed alcohol (Monitoring the Future, January 2024).
- The number of teens who report they have consumed alcohol has decreased 55% proportionally from 1991 to 2023 (Monitoring the Future, January 2024).
Age matters: drinking underage negatively affects brain development.
Women and girls (gender assigned at birth) are affected faster by alcohol because of the lower amount of water in their bodies.
The smaller your physical build, the faster alcohol will affect you, and at lower amounts.
Certain types of drinks contain a higher percentage of alcohol than others. While a standard 12 oz can of beer is a different size than a standard 5 oz glass of wine or cocktail with the standard pour of 1.5 oz of spirits, they contain the same amount of alcohol.