Parents have critical role in preventing teen drinking
More than 2800 Australian students aged 12-17 took part in a survey of drinking behaviour, conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide's School of Psychology and the Population Health group at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). The results of the study, now published in the journal BMC Public Health , provide a snapshot of the prevalence of alcohol consumption among students, and the factors that most influence their drinking behaviour. This research has been supported by Cancer Council SA and SA Government. "Harmful alcohol use is a serious problem in Australia, and drinking patterns are often first set in adolescence," says lead author Jacqueline Bowden, behavioural scientist and Manager of Population Health Research at SAHMRI, and researcher with the School of Psychology, University of Adelaide. "With alcohol contributing to four of the top five causes of death in young people, and a leading cause of cancer i...