| Alcohol prohibition in the US lasted from 1919 to | | | | available at moderation.org, the website of |
| 1933. Prohibition continues for those under age 21. | | | | Moderation Management, a non-profit organization |
| Prohibition was repealed because it was violated | | | | which teaches ideas and techniques to moderate |
| so often. Given how much people like to drink, | | | | or abstain. |
| prohibition as a public policy was not realistic. In | | | | 2) When your children are young, start by |
| this article I suggest that we are seeing similar | | | | introducing small sips of wine or beer during some |
| violations of drinking laws by young people, and | | | | meals. These sips should not be enough to get a |
| that it is time to modify the prohibition on their | | | | "buzz." They will introduce the taste of these |
| drinking. The actions I suggest are already in place | | | | beverages, and possibly some additional |
| in many families. | | | | sensations. The sips may be weeks apart, or |
| Drinking actually seems to be decreasing among | | | | even less frequently (e.g., on some holidays). |
| young people (according to the Monitoring the | | | | 3) As your children become teens, gradually move |
| Future surveys the federal government funds). | | | | toward partial or full glasses. Make several points |
| However, despite the "zero tolerance" approach, | | | | clear to them. For now drinking is an at-home |
| some young people drink regularly or in large | | | | activity to be engaged in with parents only. This |
| amounts. On occasion, some die from drinking. | | | | drinking is to prepare them for the freedom they |
| Many college students experience significant | | | | will have in the future. By knowing about and |
| problems from drinking, more so than in previous | | | | having experienced alcohol they will more easily be |
| generations (according to data collected by Henry | | | | able to pass up temptation at teen parties. You |
| Wechsler at Harvard's School of Public Health). | | | | hope that they will view getting drunk, or other |
| Although more young people may be avoiding | | | | drug use, as foolish rather than as interesting or |
| drinking, the ones who do drink are having more | | | | sophisticated. In addition to these points, inquire |
| problems with it. | | | | about their experience of alcohol. They are now |
| I suggest that overall it would be better to teach | | | | drinking enough to experience more than just the |
| most children and teens to drink, so that when | | | | taste. |
| they have easy access to it-as they do in the | | | | Is there scientific evidence to support this |
| college years if not sooner-they will know how to | | | | approach to preparing children and teens for their |
| handle it. How would one teach drinking? The | | | | later opportunities to drink as much as they |
| following approach would not work for every | | | | want? Unfortunately there appears to be no |
| family. Families with a history of addiction, for | | | | strong evidence on either side of this question. As |
| instance, might well choose another approach. | | | | parents, we need to decide on our own whether |
| 1) Most importantly, set a good example and | | | | requiring abstinence until 21 (or beyond), or |
| moderate your own drinking. Your children will | | | | preparing our children as just described, is the |
| likely adopt drinking habits similar to your own. "Do | | | | sensible course of action. However, for millennia |
| as I say, not as I do" is not an effective stance! | | | | parents have been preparing their children for the |
| What is moderate drinking? There are several | | | | dangers and opportunities of the world. We teach |
| guidelines available, including one from the US | | | | them, step by step, how to use knives, prepare |
| government (two standard drinks per day for | | | | foods like chicken or eggs, drive cars, swim, stay |
| men, and one for women). A standard drink is the | | | | safe in potentially dangerous places, and so on. |
| normal serving size: a 12 oz. beer, a 5 oz. glass of | | | | Drinking used to be on this list also. Isn't it time it |
| wine, or a shot of liquor. Additional information is | | | | got back on? |