Dad I Prefer The Shiraz: Do Parents Who Serve Teens Beer And Wine At Home Raise Responsible Drinkers?
Should Teens Drink At Home If It’s Monitored By Parents?
This Wall Street Journal article by Melinda Beck is about the effectiveness of parent-monitored teen drinking at home as a measure to prevent future binge drinking. It cites survey-based evidence that 6% of 12-14-year-olds had consumed alcohol in the past month and 45% of them had gotten it from home. Complicating this apparent problem is the reality that 86% of teens under 21 have used alcohol and 50% of them binge drink, leading some parents to believe that guided moderate drinking in the home can help teach teens healthy consumption habits. Further information from the scientific community points to harmful cognitive effects of any alcohol consumed during adolescence, when critical brain changes take place. These considerations are critical to parents and caregivers who are involved with adolescent social and cognitive development. While there is some limited evidence to suggest that social acclimation to moderate drinking can decrease likelihood of alcohol problems, there are important medical perspectives that there may be no “safe” level of teen drinking.
At Bluefield, we work with the entire family to help our students recover. Our licensed professionals are adamant about keeping parents in the loop about their student’s progress, but we also help to educate parents. Most parents are not prepared to deal with an addicted son or daughter, but we can help. Our founders have worked with hundreds of addicted adolescents and their families, so they possess plenty of experience to share with Bluefield’s students and their parents. Not only do we help our students find recovery, but we also give them an academically nurturing environment to help with the transition back onto campus.
