







Parents are the key to preventing underage drinking.
As they enter their teens, education is not enough to deter Utah kids from drinking alcohol because there are constant pressures to drink. In addition, the brain area that promotes impulsivity and risk-taking develops early in a teen, while the good judgment area of the brain isn't fully developed until about age 24. Kids need help to stay alcohol-free.
Parents who are actively involved in their kids' lives and set clear rules and expectations on no alcohol use have a powerful influence on their children's decision to remain alcohol-free.
Parents who try to teach responsible drinking by letting their teenagers have alcohol at home may be well intentioned, but they may also be wrong, according to a new study in the latest issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Read MorePROVO — You can't just love your kids away from alcohol. In fact, teens who viewed their parents as warm and affectionate, but lax in their monitoring, were three times more likely to engage in heavy drinking than their loved and supervised peers, according to a new BYU study.
As teenagers mature into their senior year of high school, many parents begin to feel more comfortable about letting them drink alcohol. But new research from brain scientists and parenting experts suggests loosening the reins on drinking may not be a good idea in the long run.