Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Healthy parent-child ties can keep teenagers away from alcohol

A healthy parent-child relationship can have a preventive effect on the early drinking tendencies in a teenager, a new study suggests.

The study to be published in the May issue of Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs emphasises the role played by parents in bringing down drinking tendencies in a teenager.

According to the study, teenagers who feel that they can share their problems with parents are less prone to early drinking, compared to those who do not share such a relationship with their parents.

“Our work shows that the ‘preventive effect’ of a later drinking age is likely to be a side effect of a good parent-child relationship,” lead researcher Emmanuel Kuntsche of Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Problems said.

Teenage drinking is a serious problem in many parts of the world, including India. The study suggests that a healthy and frank communication between the parents and their teenaged child “trigger a spiral of healthy development during adolescence” that ultimately minimises the risk of developing alcohol related problems at an early age.

Kuntsche and colleagues surveyed 364 adolescents over a time of two years. The subjects were studied thrice in this duration and it was found that those who reported an early drinking age in the first phase yielded to more drinking by the second time.

The study found that only teenagers who share a ‘high quality’ relationship with their parents are less prone to develop alcohol related problems compared to their peers.

Researchers define a high-quality relationship as one where teenagers felt they could discuss their problems with their parents and they in turn respected the child’s feelings.

Previous studies in this field suggested that the age of the child is an important factor that determines whether they will eventually develop alcohol-related problems.

Kuntsche said parents should remember that there role is important when it comes to their children’s risk of substance abuse.

Be attentive to children’s needs in general, he said, emphasising that may be one way to protect the children from developing drinking problems.

source: The Hindu

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Problem Drinker? You're Not Alone.

Problem drinking comes in a range of severity and demographic subtypes but is quite common and substantially undertreated, according to several recent studies. There are two main disorders: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The former is less severe and is marked by drinking that leads to at least one of four problems: physically risky behavior….

Bi-polar disorder- learning the signs and symptoms

There are many emotions that we face, in our everyday life. Some situations make us happy, while some make us sad. People with bi-polar disorder, are extremely affected by these emotions. Bi-polar disorder is also known as the maniac depression or maniac depressive illness and as the name suggests this disorder involves striking mood shifts…..

Why should we care about cannabis?

Approximately 4 per cent of the world’s adults – some 162 million people – use cannabis every year, making it the world’s most widely used illicit drug. In some countries, more than half of all young people have tried it. In spite of this high rate of usage, many basic facts about cannabis remain obscure…..

A path to recovery

Michael Walsh lost 16 years to alcohol and cocaine addiction. Now sober, he’s trying to help others find their way out through a new secular peer-support group called LifeRing. Alcoholics Anonymous was instrumental in his recovery, but as an atheist, Walsh, now 41, struggled with the concept of the higher power found in AA’s program…..

Heroin Hits the Suburbs Hard Amid Wave of Drug Abuse by Teens and 20-Somethings

When the vomiting, tremors, and chills she felt each morning became overwhelming, Jessica Polmann started selling her body to finance her heroin addiction and halt the debilitating physical symptoms of withdrawal. The petite, blond cheerleader, who made the honor roll before she started doing heroin at age 13, received $60 and some cigarettes each time….