Here's how to tackle teenage drinking

A new study has revealed that parenting style is an important factor in preventing binge drinking amongst teens.

According to a new Brigham Young University study of 5,000 adolescents and their parents, the researchers found that parents who scored high on both accountability and warmth had teens with least chances of heavy drinking, whereas so-called ‘indulgent’ parents nearly tripled that chance.

And ‘strict’ parents – high on accountability and low on warmth – more than doubled their teen’s risk of heavy drinking.

The BYU researchers also note that teens in this new study were more likely to have non-drinking friends if their parents scored high on warmth and accountability.

“The adolescent period is kind of a transitional period and parents sometimes have a hard time navigating that,” said Stephen Bahr, a professor in BYU’s College of Family, Home and Social Sciences.

“Although peers are very important, it’s not true that parents have no influence,” she added.

“Make sure that it’s not just about controlling their behavior – you need to combine knowing how they spend their time away from home with a warm, loving relationship,” said co-author John Hoffmann.

The study will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.