The DrinkWise Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix campaign has received a major boost with new research confirming that parents have more influence on the drinking behaviour of young teens than they perhaps think. And, in a second development, alcohol retailers have agreed to support the campaign by making available at the point of sale information for parents about the risks alcohol poses to the developing brain.

The research, conducted by researchers at La Trobe University, Monash University and the University of Newcastle, examined the scientific literature on the influence of parents and siblings on children‟s and adolescents‟ attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol.

The study found that for adolescents, the most accurate indicator of future alcohol use is current alcohol consumption patterns and that current alcohol consumption is one of the better predictors of later-life regular drinking patterns.

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