How important is the context of an adolescent's first alcoholic drink? Evidence that parental provision may reduce later heavy episodic drinking.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the extent to which a retrospective measure of parental provision of the first alcoholic beverage was related to current heavy episodic drinking and current responsible drinking practices. SAMPLE: 608 14- to 17-year-olds from the 2007 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey. MEASURES: Source of first alcoholic beverage (friends/parents/others), source of current alcohol, age of onset of alcohol use, current responsible drinking practices, and proportion of current friends who drink.
RESULTS: Binary logistic and multiple regression procedures revealed that parental provision of an adolescent's first alcoholic beverage predicted lower current heavy episodic drinking, and responsible drinking mediated this association. DISCUSSION: The results suggested that for adolescents who become alcohol users, parental provision of the first drink may reduce subsequent alcohol-related risks compared to introduction to alcohol by friends and other sources. Alcohol-related risks remain significant for adolescents who consume alcohol, independent of who is the provider.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes