It is very important that parents draw a firm line between kids and the alcohol consumed in the home — earlier rather than later. “While many parents may think that allowing their teens and their teens’ friends to drink at home under adult supervision keeps kids safe and leads to healthier attitudes about drinking, the truth is that there are serious negative consequences for both parents and teens,” said Josie Feliz in Drugfree.org.
One myth about kids and alcohol consumption is that young people from European cultures — those whose parents give kids alcohol at earlier ages — learn to drink more responsibly than their American peers.
“Truth: A greater percentage of European youth report drinking regularly (in the past 30 days) versus American youth, and for a majority of European countries, a greater percentage of young people report having been intoxicated before the age of 13 than is the case in the U.S.,” noted Feliz.
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