If your child is curious about alcohol, talk to them about it openly and honestly - even younger children know about drinking and can talk about it. Try to explain both the positive and negative aspects of drinking. You've probably learned from your mistakes,
so give them the benefit of your experience. Try not to go overboard if your child comes home drunk. If you become suspicious, don't panic, ask direct questions but don't lose your temper. Getting angry may cause them to hide their drinking habits from you in future, leaving you powerless to influence their behaviour.
Your child needs to know what you think is acceptable drinking behaviour - and where you draw the line. Setting boundaries will help you to protect your children and yourself. Of course, it's up to you to decide when and how much your child is allowed to
drink, but try to be reasonable and come to a mutual agreement on the boundaries you set. This will make it easier to enforce if your
child abuses them. Offer a listening ear, but if you give advice, don't expect them to always follow it.
Long before your kids have a chance to drink alcohol, you can increase the chances that they'll just say "no." Ask them each school year what drug and alcohol education they
are getting, and discuss it
with them.
Over 1,000 young people under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital each year with alcohol poisoning.