Parents Need to Communicate About Teenage Drinking

Thursday December 22 2016

Parents Need to Communicate About Teenage Drinking

Kiwi parents are being urged to talk to each other about their teenagers drinking as we head into Christmas and the busy New Year party season.

Research conducted by Cheers – an industry-funded public education campaign – shows more than half of Kiwi parents are relying on other parents to care for their teenagers, whilst around alcohol at parties without first talking about their expectations or rules.

“Parents are trusting other parents’ judgement without discussing it with them first,” says Matt Claridge, Executive Director of The TomorrowProject, the organisation that oversees Cheers.

“An alarming 54% of parents never or rarely talk to other parents about their children drinking. And this, combined with peer pressure and a lack of knowledge about the effects of drinking alcohol, can create some high risk situation for teens.”

Mr Claridge says parents need to open up the lines of communication between each other about parties or nights out, so that adults are on the same page around rules, expectations and responsibilities. Parents also need to ensure they have spoken to their teens about drinking alcohol and have set clear guidelines before the party season begins.

“Let’s talk to each other and all take responsibility for keeping our teens safe this summer. This really is about our teenagers being informed to make good decisions. As parents we can work together and get this right,” says Mr Claridge.

Information and advice around how to talk to teenagers about alcohol can be found online at cheers.org.nz.

The Tomorrow Project was founded in 2012 and is committed to helping to create a safe and responsible drinking culture in New Zealand through evidenced-based, targeted interventions that address the reasons behind problem drinking.

ENDS

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