Should you drink with your children?

 During the time between 2018 and summer of 2021, I dated a guy whose parents were very open about drinking around and with their younger kids. At first, I didn’t think much of it but with time my perspectives changed as I watched his parents allow his 17-year-old daughter get relatively drunk during holidays and even just regular “party weekends”. So, for this post I will discuss the ethics behind underage drinking with parent consent/supervision.

Throughout the U.S., underage drinking with parent supervision is allowed in 29 states including the state of Colorado (States that allow underage consumption, 2020). This is more than half the country. Quick fun fact, 6 states legally allow underage drinking without parent consent. Does this mean that because it is legal it is ethically right? Based on data found by Aloi et al. (2021), this may not be the case. This study has shown that alcohol consumption in teens increases their chances of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the adult years (Aloi et al, 2021). AUD in turn has shown to reduce or weaken the ability for decision making. This occurs by a reduction in the neural pathways involved in the reward prediction error or the ability to distinguish between the expected value of a given stimuli and the perceived value.

So, the ethical questions I ask are, should there be laws enabling underage alcohol consumption even when supervised or with parental consent? And if not, then should parents be held accountable for the possible consequences this may bring to their children?

Until the age of 18, children are under the protection and supervision of their parents. In the case of a medical or lawful emergency, parents often have a say in the final decision taken and children will often rely on their advice. Parents who allow their teenage kids to drink may or may not be aware of the negative consequences this could bring to them later in life. This leads to concerns in the beneficence of these adolescents whose parents allow them to consume alcohol. In addition to this, parents who enable underage drinking, increase the risk of future harm or to their children, therefore decreasing non-maleficence. These topics are hard to address, whether you are a friend of a parent or a parent who may allow for this. However, it is important to become aware and educate oneself on the possible consequences as to prevent harm to those we love. 

Aloi, J., Crum, K. I., Blair, K. S., Zhang, R., Bashford-Largo, J., Bajaj, S., Schwartz, A., Carollo, E., Hwang, S., Leiker, E., Filbey, F. M., Averbeck, B. B., Dobbertin, M., & Blair, R. (2021). Individual associations of adolescent alcohol use disorder versus cannabis use disorder symptoms in neural prediction error signaling and the response to novelty. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 48, 100944. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100944

States that allow underage (under 21) alcohol consumption - drinking age - procon.org. Drinking Age. (2020, February 18). Rettrieved November 30, 2021, from https://drinkingage.procon.org/states-that-allow-under-21-alcohol consumption/.