Alcohol: What every parent should know

Many parents think their children don't listen to them, don't care what they think and won't do what they say - and vice versa! But what you do and say does have an effect. Talking and listening to your children can be an eye-opener.

Drinking alcohol is an accepted part of our culture and most young people who drink alcohol do so without experiencing serious problems. They see it as part of growing up, and in time they are likely to develop sensible drinking habits. However, binge drinking and drunkenness have become much more common over the last decade, particularly amongst young people.

And so it's important to help them to understand the risks and keep safe when they drink.

Translations of the information included on this website are also available in a number of languages including Bengali, Chinese, Turkish and Urdu.

This guide is mainly for parents with teenage children, but you may find it useful when talking with younger children. By the time they are seven, many children have tasted alcohol at home, and they are probably more aware of it than you think.

Alcohol: What every parent should know gives facts and figures to help you know what you're talking about. A companion guide, Drugs: What every parent should know, gives facts about drugs and how they are used. The information in both guides can help you decide what you want to discuss with your teenagers and how and when to do it. The quotations come from parents and young people - people just like you.

This guide has been produced as part of a close collaboration between the Scottish Executive, NHS Health Scotland, Alcohol Focus Scotland and Barbara O'Donnell (National Alcohol Liaison Officer).

Special thanks to the parents and young people whose comments and suggestions helped to produce this guide.