Children offered a sip of their parents’ wine at parties and social occasions are more likely to start drinking by their mid-teens, researchers warn . Children offered a sip of their parents’ wine at parties and social occasions are more likely to start drinking by their mid-teens, researchers warn. A study has found that those who had sipped alcohol by the age of 11 were five times more likely to have had a full drink within a couple of years, and four times more likely to have binged or been drunk than peers who had not tasted alcohol at an early age. The study was carried out in the US where, say researchers, some parents try to lessen the taboo appeal of drinking by following the ‘European model’ of introducing young children to alcohol under supervision at home. Lead researcher Kristina Jackson, of Brown University in Rhode Island, said: ‘Our study provides evidence to the contrary.’ Previous research suggests parental attitudes are one of the most important factors involved in when teens start drinking. A survey of UK schoolchildren found witnessing drinking at home and seeing their parents get drunk raises the risk of children having an alcoholic drink by the age of 13. In the American study, 561 Rhode Island middle-school students were surveyed periodically over three years. At the beginning of sixth grade – around the age of 11 – almost 30 per cent of pupils said they had sipped alcohol. In most cases, their parents provided it – often at a party or other special occasion. By the time the students reached the ages of 14 and 15, one in four early ‘sippers’ said they had had a full alcoholic drink, compared with 6 per cent of those who had not. Almost one in ten of early sippers had got drunk or binged – compared with just under 2 per cent of ‘non-sippers’, says a report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Researchers accounted for several factors which influence under-age drinking, including parents’ drinking habits and any history of alcoholism, as well as tendencies among the children to be impulsive and take risks. Even then there was still a connection between early sipping and risky drinking by high school, said Dr Jackson. She said it was possible little tastes of alcohol sent young children a mixed message because some may have difficulty understanding the difference between a sip of wine and having a full drink. She stressed parents should not be alarmed if they had already let their child have a taste of wine, adding: ‘We’re not saying your child is doomed.’ Dr Paul Wallace, of the charity Drinkaware, said: ‘Alcohol can harm children while they are still developing which is why the UK chief medical officers say an alcohol-free childhood as the best option. ‘It’s best to talk to your child about the risks associated with drinking. You have more influence than you might think.’ One in five teenagers have bought or tried electronic cigarettes, a major British study has found. This includes many who had never smoked regular cigarettes. It is feared youngsters hooked on the nicotine in the devices will then move on to tobacco cigarettes, putting themselves at risk of lung cancer and other diseases. Experts warn that rather than being an aid to quitting smoking, e-cigarettes are increasingly seen as ‘a recreational drug in their own right’. Professor Mark Bellis, of Liverpool John Moores University, surveyed 16,000 people aged 14 to 17 in the North West of England. A fifth said they had bought or tried e-cigarettes. More boys than girls had done so, and the rate increased among those from deprived areas, the journal BMC Public Health reports. Professor Bellis warned nicotine can affect younger brains more seriously.
US researchers say some parents are introducing children to alcohol early . The idea is to lessen its taboo appeal by following the 'European model'
UK study says kids are more likely to drink after seeing parents get drunk .