Kids Who 'Sip' Their Parents' Wine or Beer May Start Drinking Earlier

Do you give your child a sip of your wine or beer every now and then? Then he may be more likely to drink sooner. Scientists have found that children that receive a taste of their parents' wine may be more likely to start drinking by high school than their peers.

The researchers conducted a study of 561 students over the course of several years. They found that those who'd had a sip of alcohol by sixth grade were five times more likely than their peers to down a full drink by the time they were in high school. They were also four times more likely to have binged or been drunk.

"We're not trying to say whether it's 'OK' or 'not OK' for parents to allow this," said Kristina Jackson, one of the researchers, in a news release.

However, the research does call into question the "European model." The general premise is that introducing children to alcohol early on, at home, will teach them about responsible drinking and lessen the "taboo" appeal of alcohol. Instead, it appears as if the opposite is true.

The researchers found that by ninth grade, 26 percent of early "sippers" said they'd had a full alcoholic drink. This is compared to less than six percent of their peers, who did not sip alcohol when younger. In addition, nine percent of early sippers had either gotten drunk or binged, compared with just under two percent of non-sippers.

"At that age, some kids may have difficulty understanding the difference between a sip of wine and having a full beer," said Jackson.

That's not to say giving your child a sip of alcohol is bad. It just highlights the importance of giving kids clear and consistent messages about drinking.

The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

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