London - Parents having a regular gin and tonic or bottle of wine in the home are more likely to see their children become binge drinkers, says a report.

Family drinking and seeing their parents drunk raises the risk of children having an alcoholic drink by the age of 13, it found.

Teenagers are twice as likely to have got drunk several times if they witness their parents drunk.

Findings from a major survey suggest parental behaviour is helping fuel Britain’s teen drinking epidemic. Teenagers are much more likely to have had an alcoholic drink if their parents do not know where they are on a Saturday night, or if they are allowed to watch 18-rated films unsupervised.

The survey highlights the “paramount importance” of parents setting an example and supervising their children’s initial experiences with alcohol.

Experts say there is “little benefit” in government policy aiming to prevent youngsters from trying alcohol, instead it should limit the immediate and long-term harm it causes.

They are calling for more support for parents, especially in understanding how their own drinking affects their child’s behaviour and that the most common place for youngsters to get hold of alcohol is in the home. The survey of 5,700 schoolchildren was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an independent research group, amid mounting concern about binge drinking by teenagers.

It found that one in four 13 to 14-year-olds have been drunk more than once, which doubles to just over half of children by the time they reach 15 or 16.

One quarter of pupils aged 15 and 16 who drink consumed six or more drinks the last time they used alcohol - way above government safe drinking limits for adults.

The survey shows the youngest teenagers are mainly drinking alcopops. By the age of 16, four in five pupils have been drunk - “in many cases, getting drunk is intentional”, says the report.

The influence of friends is significant in getting teenagers drunk, with the risk more than doubling if they spend more than two nights a week socialising. “While friends play a critical role, family has a strong direct and indirect influence,” says the report.

Youngsters are more at risk of becoming regular drinkers and drinking to excess if they are exposed to a close family member, especially a parent, drinking or getting drunk.

Seeing older siblings get drunk has the same effect, while having a first drink aged six or younger also influences drunkenness.

Claire Turner, from the foundation, said: “This research shows that parents can have more influence on their teenagers’ behaviour than perhaps many assumed.

“Both what parents say and how they behave have a strong impact on their teenagers drinking, drinking regularly, and drinking to excess.”

UNDERAGE DRINKING: THE FACTS

The survey’s findings included:

*The most common age for a first drink was 12-13, usually celebrating a special occasion with adults

*Nine out of ten 16-year-olds have had an alcoholic drink

*One in four 16-year-olds say they downed six or more drinks the last time they drank

*Half of 13-year-old drinkers say they have been drunk

*Two out of three 16-year-olds who have been drunk say they and their friends aim to get drunk at least once a month

*Youngsters are more likely to drink if at least one member of the family drinks each week

*Being with older friends who drink means a youngster is more likely to get drunk

*Seeing a parent drunk raises the odds the child will drink excessively

*The most common place for children to obtain drink is the home - Daily Mail

For support and fun on your parenting journey, join our Babynet forum....

Get our new, free Lifestyle newsletter - subscribe here...