In many western countries, kids are used to having alcohol even before reaching the legal age of drinking. Parents believe that giving an ideal amount of alcohol from household will help their kids to embrace responsible drinking in future. However, a recent study conducted in Australia shows that this deed might not be that helpful.
According to the new study, parents who are providing their kids with alcohol are not doing them any favor.
The study was conducted by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Centre, Australia. During the study, researchers examined a group of 1,927 parents and adolescents over a six-year period to figure out what will happen to their kids if they are provided with alcohol in the household.
The study result indicates that early exposure to alcohol does not protect the kids from the adverse effects of alcohol, and sometimes they become more prone to alcohol-related illness in future.
"Those parents' aims are admirable, but they're wrong. When you look across a large number of people what you find is there's no benefit. Giving whole glasses is probably worse than giving sips, but giving sips does not protect and still causes harm," said Richard Mattick, lead author of the study, USA Today reports.
According to the researchers, children who are supplied with alcohol will get a feeling that drinking is acceptable as it is being given by their parents. The chances of binge drinking in future will also be high among children who are supplied with alcohol in their young ages.
The new research conducted by these Australian experts have backed up some previous studies conducted on alcohol addiction and substance abuse. Emily Feinstein, executive vice president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse said that the delay of alcohol's introduction in a person's life will reduce the risk of getting addicted in the future.
According to Emily Feinstein, the introduction of alcohol and drugs will create negative impacts on a child's developing brain.
