One sip is one sip too many

Letting a child taste a sip of a beer is never a good idea. In fact, research has shown that children who get a sip of alcohol from their parents at a young age are more likely to become heavy drinkers later in life. Oh dear…

The NIX18 law (no smoking & drinking until you are 18) is there for a reason. We have written about it before: alcohol is harmful to the adolescent brain. Erik Scherder also regularly appears in the media, in which he explains why drinking alcohol before the eighteenth birthday is not a good idea.

The research

Based on a new study, American researchers suggest that children who get a sip of alcohol from their parents at a young age are more likely to become heavy drinkers later in life. The study involved 4842 children aged 9 to 11 years. The researchers presented the children with statements such as 'alcohol can help them relax' and 'alcohol makes people mean to others'.

The study showed that more than one-fifth of the children had already drunk alcohol at some point. Usually a sip of beer from Dad. Researcher Joshua Gray: 'We found that these children were more likely to think positively about alcohol. And previous research shows that this is related to more drinking and more alcohol-related problems as they become adults.' Source: psychologymagazine.nl.