'I need you to say no' campaign

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that no alcohol is the safest choice for under 18s.

The NHMRC provides the following guidelines to reduce alcohol-related health harms for children and young people under 18 years of age:

• For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.
• Parents/guardians should be advised that teenagers under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is really important.
• For teenagers aged 15 to 17 years, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible.

The Guidelines provide guidance for parents, as well as for young people themselves, about the safest option to prevent alcohol-related harm for children and young people up to 18 years of age.

Although more young Australians are delaying their first alcoholic drink, many still begin drinking before 18. In addition to experiencing negative drinking-related outcomes such as injuries and mental ill-health, early alcohol use can lead to harmful drinking practices and alcohol use disorders later in life.

Young people are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than adults because the brain of the adolescent is not fully developed, therefore teens use emotions to process information.  This means that compared to adults, teens have reduced reasoned thinking and increased impulsiveness, making it difficult to consider consequences – increasing the likelihood of making risky decisions that can lead to numerous types of harms, including negative physical, mental, financial and social outcomes such as:

• trouble at school or work the day after drinking
• arguments with family members
• alcohol-related injuries or accidents
• violence or involvement in a fight due to alcohol
• having sex with someone due to alcohol and regretting it later.

As the brain keeps developing into the mid-twenties, drinking alcohol as a teenager can greatly increase the risk of damage to the developing brain. It can also lead to problems with alcohol later in life.

Drinking alcohol can affect how the brain develops in those under 25. Young people under 15 years are particularly at risk. Teenage brains are still developing, and the areas of the brain that undergo the most dramatic changes during the teenage years are the frontal lobe and hippocampus. These areas are associated with motivation, impulse control, addiction and most importantly, learning and memory.

Young people are still developing skills to make good decisions and their brains do not assess risk in the same way that adult brains do, increasing the likelihood of harm or injury.

You don’t have to be an expert, but it’s good to be prepared and ready with what you want to say and how, before you talk to your child. Think about your beliefs about underage drinking, and what your child may ask and how you might respond. You may not know all the answers, but you should be prepared to answer some difficult questions.

For example, make it clear that you don’t want your child to drink alcohol, and it can be helpful to explain why.

Parents tell us starting the discussion when you’re both relaxed is helpful – like at the dinner table, when you’re driving them somewhere, or watching TV together.

It’s important your child knows the risks associated with alcohol but at the same time, if you use scare tactics, your child may dismiss what you are saying.

This lets your child know you are interested and helps to build a relationship where they feel more willing to share information with you.