Drinking habits of parents may be more contagious than they think: ‘Greater risk’

A parent’s drinking habits really do rub off on their children, a new study suggests.

Specific parenting interventions can break the cycle of generational substance use, even if the parents don’t stop drinking themselves, according to researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo.

The study analyzed data from more than 4,200 Brazilian teens and their guardians, finding that parents’ drinking habits are a leading predictor of whether their teenagers will partake in alcohol or drugs.

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A parent’s alcohol consumption is associated with a 24% probability of their child drinking, and that risk escalates when multiple substances are involved, according to the study’s press release. 

When guardians use both alcohol and tobacco or vapes, the likelihood of their children following suit jumps to 28%. The findings were published in the scientific journal Addictive Behaviors.

The data was collected from 2023 to 2024 in four towns in Brazil. The average age of the adolescents was 14.7 years, and the group included an even mix of boys and girls.

“With this study, we reinforce the fact that parents’ patterns of alcohol and other drug use influence their children’s,” said lead author Zila Sanchez, a professor at the university, in the release.

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The most effective form of prevention appears to be lead-by-example abstinence. When guardians opt not to drink, 89% of adolescents refrain from using alcohol or other drugs.

Home environment also played a role in adolescent substance use, as the researchers analyzed the effects of the following four parenting styles.

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• Authoritative: High affection mixed with clear rules (most effective)
• Authoritarian: Strict rules but low affection (reduced drug use, but was less effective against alcohol)
• Permissive: High affection but no rules (offered no protective effect)
• Neglectful: Low affection and no rules (offered no protective effect)

“If they set rules and limits at home and show affection, these protective factors greatly minimize the risk they themselves pose when they consume these substances,” Sanchez said.

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However, the researchers warned that affection isn’t a cure-all, and that if alcohol is framed as a universal coping mechanism, a teenager is far more likely to adopt that behavior.

“When consumption is frequent and treated as something trivial, it translates into greater risk, regardless of the existing emotional bond,” Sanchez said.

The researchers noted some limitations of the study.

Because it analyzed a snapshot of data from one point in time, it shows a connection but cannot prove that parents’ drinking caused the teens’ choices.

The data also relied on surveys from teenagers, who may have underreported their own use or misremembered their parents’ habits.

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Additionally, because the study focused only on four towns in Brazil, the results may not reflect drinking cultures or family dynamics in other parts of the world.