Ways to prevent your child from drinking underage

Drinking alcohol before the age of 18 is linked to a wide range of health and social problems which is why it is recommended that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option.¹

As your child grows up, they will see and hear about alcohol in the world around them, whether from friends and family or on TV or social media.

So, what can you do if you think your child might be tempted to drink underage?

Get the facts

If you’re concerned that curiosity or peer pressure might tempt your child to drink, the best first step is to get the facts on the harm drinking underage can cause to their health. Understanding the law on alcohol and under 18s will also help.

As a parent or guardian, you have significant influence over the attitude and relationship your child will develop with alcohol.² So, there are things you can do to prevent them from being tempted to drink underage.

What helps prevent underage drinking?

Resilience and self-esteem

The greater a young person’s self-esteem, the greater their ability to bounce back from difficult situations and avoid wrongly thinking that alcohol could be a solution to their problems.³ When children see themselves as capable of solving problems, they develop resilience and self-esteem.

How to build resilience and self-esteem

You can help build your child’s resilience and self-esteem by clearly showing your love, even when you’re not happy about their behaviour, and listening to and respecting them.

Sometimes that means letting them fail and helping them learn they can overcome difficulties. Other times it’s about encouraging them to do their best and praising their efforts. Rules and routines, and strong connections with family and friends, all help too.

Look at your own approach to alcohol

It can be natural for a child not to ‘do as you say’, but instead to ‘do as you do’. Setting a good example can be key to protecting them against early and unwise drinking. Look at your own drinking habits, if you drink, and consider making some changes.⁴

Regularly drinking more than the UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines of no more than 14 units a week increases the risk of developing a range of health problems.⁵ Drinking above the guidelines can set a negative example that you don’t want your child to copy.

It’s not just the amount you drink either. If you have certain triggers for drinking – for example to celebrate good news, when you’re upset, or as something you regularly do at home – you might find you’re sending an unintended message about the role you think alcohol ‘should’ play in your life and theirs.

Agree rules and boundaries around alcohol

Young people like to push boundaries and test rules. That’s part of being a teenager. However, they can feel safer when there are guidelines, clear rules, and consequences for breaking them.

Talking through your expectations and agreeing boundaries will help create ‘buy in’ and make them feel any rules are theirs to keep. They can also be useful for them to quote at friends: “No thanks, I would join in, but I know I’ll get in trouble if I do, so I’ll give it a miss.”

Experimenting with alcohol becomes more common as children get older. For example in England in 2023, 15% of 11-year-olds said they had tried alcohol compared to 62% of 15-year-olds.⁶

Help them to see they can say ‘no’ to alcohol

To say ‘no’, young people need to recognise that it doesn't mean they’re rejecting a friend or being dull or rude – they’re looking after themselves. And they won’t be alone. Recent data shows that the number of young people (11 to 15 year olds) who have ever had a drink has declined from 44% in 2016 to 37% in 2023.⁷

Lead by example and show your child how to avoid peer pressure. One way of demonstrating this yourself could be to refuse an alcoholic drink when offered one in a social situation and have a soft drink instead.

Prevent alcohol being the answer to boredom

Some young people say they drink because they’re bored, so encouraging their interest in other activities they enjoy – whether reading, playing games, getting in touch with friends, or taking part in sport – will help make boredom much less likely.⁸

External advice and support links

For young people

Barnardo’s offers support services for children and young people dealing with substance misuse, including alcohol.

Addiction

If you are worried about your child’s drinking, contact your GP surgery, phone Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or find local We Are With You services.

Parenting

Coram Family Lives is a national charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life. Visit Coram Family Lives or call their 24/7 parent and family advice line on 0808 800 2222.

Mental health

Young Minds provides information and advice on young people and mental health. Call the helpline on 0808 802 5544, open 9.30am to 4pm on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. And from 9.30am to 6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Or use their webchat service.