
Helping your teen develop lower-risk drinking habits
Te āwhina i tō rangatahi kia whakawhanake i ngā tikanga inu waipiro haumaru
Parents and caregivers can have a positive influence on the relationship rangatahi (young people) have with alcohol. You can help them develop healthier habits around alcohol in several ways including:
- talking with them about the effects of alcohol
- communicating your expectations around acceptable drinking and setting clear boundaries
- limiting the availability of alcohol
- being a good role model and limiting your drinking in front of rangatahi. How parents and caregivers behave, and their own drinking habits are critical.
Concerns about drinking
If you are worried that a rangatahi may be drinking too much, you could try to talk to them about your concerns. You could also encourage them to talk to their general practice team. It might be reassuring for them to know that health providers have to keep all information about their medical care private.
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Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed February 2024.
Sources
The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public
Amohia te Waiora – Young People (https://www.alcohol.org.nz/sites/default/files/field/file_attachment/HPA%27s%20AlcoholNZ-June-2016.pdf), Alcohol NZ June 2016 Vol 6 no 2, June 2016. Retrieved July 2020.
Drinkaware.co.uk – Your kids and alcohol (https://www.thecollege.co.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Your%20Kids%20and%20Alcohol.pdf). Retrieved July 2020.
Fergusson D and Boden J, Alcohol Use in Adolescence, in Improving the Transition: Reducing social and psychological morbidity during adolescence. Report from the Prime Minister's chief science advisor, May 2011. Retrieved July 2020.
Image and embedded video sources
Image of a family drinking wine with a meal from Shutterstock (image ID 364272335). January 2021.
Image of young people drinking beer from Shutterstock (image ID 661669600). January 2024.
Page reference: 849658
Review key: HIAIY-53627