Prevalence of parental supply of alcohol to minors: a systematic review

Age of onset of adolescent alcohol use with parental permission and its impact on drinking and alcohol-harms in young adulthood: A longitudinal study

Parental permission to use alcohol is common in adolescence, and many parents believe it to be an effective harm reduction strategy because it provides an opportunity to supervise drinking. Contrary to this belief, prior research has consistently linked parental provision of alcohol and permission to drink to increases in future alcohol-related harms. Whether the age of onset of parental permission to use alcohol influences these outcomes is poorly understood. This study is the first to investigate the impact of age of onset of parental permission to use alcohol on later drinking outcomes, utilizing a longitudinal US community sample of adolescents (n = 387). The analysis included nine annual waves of data and accounted for risk and protective factors at the individual, peer, and family levels. Consistent with prior research, a robust relationship was found between parental permission to use alcohol during adolescence and increased alcohol use frequency and quantity, alcohol use disorder symptoms, and alcohol-related harms in young adulthood. Age of onset of parental permission was not associated with later alcohol use outcomes, suggesting a uniform risk effect of parental permission to drink. Public health messaging to parents should seek to correct perceptions of supervised alcohol use as a harm reduction strategy and emphasize the harm of parental permission to use alcohol, regardless of age.

Australian parents' attitudes, perceptions and supply of alcohol to adolescents: a national cross-sectional survey

Parental supply of alcohol to adolescents is associated with increased risk of subsequent adolescent alcohol use and harms, so identifying factors associated with parents' decision-making is critical. This study examined how parental supply is associated with attitudes toward adolescent alcohol use, perceived norms of parental supply, perceived behavioural control and perceived acceptable age to drink alcohol. A total of 1197 Australian parents with children aged 12-17 years completed an online cross-sectional survey assessing their parental supply behaviours, attitudes and perceptions in April 2022. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between attitudes, perceptions and parental supply of alcohol to their child. Forty-three percent of respondents nominated an acceptable age to drink a full drink of alcohol below 18 years, and 23% reported supplying a full drink of alcohol to their adolescent. Parents were more likely to report supplying a full drink of alcohol if they nominated an acceptable drinking age below 18 years (<16: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 14.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.23-26.42; 16-17: AOR = 5.68, 95% CI = 3.69-8.73), appraised alcohol as more beneficial (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.02-1.69) and less harmful (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.36-0.68) for adolescents, and perceived that parent friends (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.80-4.70) and other parents (AOR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.37-3.62) supplied alcohol in unsupervised contexts. Perceived behavioural control was not associated with parental supply. These findings suggest there may be value in trialling interventions that target parents' perceptions about the acceptable age to drink a full drink of alcohol, attitudes toward adolescent alcohol consumption, and perceived norms of parental supply to influence parents' supply intentions.

Which parents provide zero-alcohol beverages to adolescents? A survey of Australian parents' practices and intentions

OBJECTIVE

Zero-alcohol beverages (<0.5% alcohol by volume) appear and taste similar to alcoholic beverages but are regulated similarly to soft drinks in many countries, blurring the distinction between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. How parents view provision of zero-alcohol beverages to adolescents is likely a key determinant of adolescent consumption. We investigated factors associated with parents' provision of zero-alcohol beverages to adolescents, including attitudes toward zero-alcohol beverages and demographic, knowledge, and behavioural factors known to be associated with provision of alcoholic beverages.

METHODS

We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of N = 1197 Australian parents of adolescents aged 12-17 years in April-May 2022. We examined associations with zero-alcohol beverage provision using binomial logistic regression, and with future provision intentions using multinomial logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Factors significantly associated (p < .001) with parents' provision and future intentions to provide zero-alcohol beverages to their adolescent included beliefs that zero-alcohol beverages had benefits for adolescents (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.69 (provision); 3.72 (intentions)), provision of alcoholic beverages (AOR 2.67 (provision); 3.72 (intentions)), and an incorrect understanding of alcohol guidelines for adolescents (AOR 2.38 (provision); 1.95 (intentions)).

CONCLUSIONS

Parents' provision and intentions to provide zero-alcohol beverages were associated with beliefs about zero-alcohol beverages as well as some factors associated with provision of alcoholic beverages. Precautionary advice to parents that the provision of zero-alcohol beverages may serve to normalise alcohol consumption may be warranted.