The Research
The Be The Influence approach is grounded in research and built around three key tenets: delaying the onset of drinking, monitoring the children and teens in your home, and never allowing underage drinking or substance use in your home. Each of these strategies has been shown to reduce risk and protect teens.
We now know that starting to drink before age 14 significantly increases the risk of developing alcohol dependence later in life. Encourage your teens to wait as long as possible to begin drinking, as this can help reduce their chances of experiencing substance-related problems. Your influence can make a difference in their choices.
See: Age at Drinking Onset and Alcohol Dependence. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Delaying First-Time Use Matters
Family Support and Clear Rules Protect Teens from Risky Drinking
Research shows that teens are less likely to develop alcohol or drug problems when parents provide strong support, set clear rules, and communicate consistent attitudes about drinking. Conflicts between parental guidance and peer influences, however, can increase risky behaviors. This means consistent, positive family involvement plays a key role in keeping teens safe.
See: Monitoring the Future Survey. a large-scale, long-term study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Allowing Underage Substance Use in Your Home Puts Kids at Risk
Teens allowed to drink alcohol under adult supervision at home are more likely to engage in harmful drinking behaviors, like drinking outside the home and binge drinking, which increases their risk of drunk driving.
Despite parents’ good intentions to teach responsible drinking, early exposure to alcohol at home can actually lead to more drinking-related problems and risky behaviors later on.
See: Influence of Family Factors and Supervised Alcohol Use on Adolescent Alcohol Use and Harms, Journal on the Study of Alcohol and Drugs