ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION among young people is strongly influenced by parental drinking habits, research conducted on behalf of the Aislinn drug treatment centre has concluded.
Of the 1,000 people aged 15-plus surveyed, 82 per cent said that young people under the legal drinking age can be prompted to try and regularly use alcohol from watching the drinking habits of their parents.
The study also reported that while nine out of 10 people have some form of alcohol in their homes, the levels of alcohol present are not being monitored.
“Despite the high level of people agreeing that there is an alcohol problem among young people, only half of those surveyed who have alcohol in their home actually check whether this alcohol might be being abused,” Declan Jones, director of the Aislinn Centre said.
Survey results also suggested that a lack of clear rules among parents on drinking for their children often undermined their intentions.
“Often parents give mixed messages to young people by allowing them to have a glass of wine with a meal and then tend to polish off the bottle themselves . . . this can teach young people that over-consumption is acceptable,” according to Mr Jones.
The survey also found that 90 per cent of people think that there is a problem in Ireland with alcohol abuse among 13-18 year olds.
Some 76 per cent of those surveyed agree that young people (13-18) who drink alcohol regularly are more likely to also experiment with illegal drugs.
“We rarely find cases of young people who find themselves in trouble with drugs that have not experimented with alcohol first,” Mr Jones said.
Recent research by the Health Service Executive (HSE) indicates that adults underestimate their role in influencing young people.
According to the research, which forms part of a Health Service Executive campaign to discourage underage drinking, some 55 per cent of adults think there is nothing they can do to stop young people drinking, while only 20 per cent agree that their drinking habits influence young people.