Survey Shows More Mothers May Be Tolerant Of Teen Girls’ Drinking

A new survey released recently reveals that nearly half of all mothers think underage drinking is acceptable in different circumstances. The survey, commissioned by The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by America’s leading distilled spirits producers, found that mothers of teenage daughters underestimate the occurrence of underage drinking among their own daughters and misjudge the seriousness of the issue.

In partnership with the Society for Women’s Health Research and the Montgomery County, Maryland Alcohol Beverage Control Board, The Century Council announced the release of a new program, “Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking,” to address this gap in knowledge and understanding of the prevalence of underage drinking, much of which is based on lack of effective communication between mothers and their teenage daughters.

Mothers significantly underestimate daughter’s experience with alcohol.

é16 percent of 13–15-year-old girls say they drink with friends, only 5 percent of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;

é30 percent of 16–18-year-old girls say they drink with friends, only 9 percent of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;

é51 percent of 19–21-year-old girls say they drink with friends and only 32 percent of their mothers thought they were drinking.

Alarmingly, mothers say underage drinking is acceptable:

éNearly half (49 percent) of mothers of teenage girls say it is okay for their daughters to drink;

é38 percent of mothers say it is okay for their daughters to drink on special occasions;

é21 percent of mothers say it is okay to drink under parental supervision at home;

é20 percent of mothers say drinking alcohol is a natural part of growing up.

“These data show that mothers start out viewing underage alcohol consumption as a serious problem, yet as their daughters grow older mothers switch their message from ‘don’t do it’ to ‘be safe’; this illustrates a disturbing misperception among moms about the seriousness of problems associated with alcohol consumption by their teenage daughters,” said Century Council Chairman Susan Molinari.

Health Consequences Serious

“It is heartening to know that young women recognize and appreciate some of the very significant and unique health consequences associated with underage drinking, but disheartening that so many still continue to drink,” said Phyllis Greenberger, MSW, president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research. “These data allow us to teach and inform our young women with the added knowledge of understanding what will most discourage them from drinking from a health consequences perspective.

“The bottom line, however, is that it isn’t enough to know the consequences — you have to act on them and that is what we are here to help young women do,” added Ms Greenberger.

When asked how serious they thought health risks were for teens that drink, 71 percent of the girls polled stated that they believe the health risks associated with drinking are serious. Putting a finer point on their concerns, the research also uncovered “the five strongest health-consequences that would keep teens from drinking alcohol” according to survey responses of teenage girls ages 13–18. Among the health consequences they identified are the following:

Alcohol poisoning/overdose, 64 percent

Rape, 63 percent

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV-AIDS, 52 percent

Unsafe/unplanned sex, 52 percent

Harm to mental development, 39 percent

Hangover, 37 percent

Pregnancy, 45 percent

Suicide, 35 percent

Harm to physical development, 27 percent

Vomiting, 28 percent

Weight gain or weight loss, 28 percent

In the face of these data, The Century Council developed the “Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking” public awareness campaign to improve dialogue among mothers and daughters. The campaign will help mothers initiate and sustain conversations about alcohol.

“Ongoing and frequent conversations should start at age 11 and take place continuously throughout and beyond high school. Eleven is not too early,” said Anthony Wolf, PhD, parenting expert.

“Daughters report these conversations should continue through high school when, as the data show, underage consumption of alcohol increases. Sadly, many mothers appear not to be initiating these conversations; The Century Council is working to address that problem,” said Ms Molinari.

“Girl Talk” uses the data gleaned from the survey including those health consequences of most concern to the girls. “Girl Talk” also highlights the daughters’ advice to their moms regarding talking about underage drinking. Girls participating in the survey responded that:

éMoms must be approachable, able to keep an open mind and must not lecture or overreact — “just because I am asking about alcohol does not mean I am drinking alcohol.”

éMoms: Keep the conversation real and personal by telling about your own personal and real-life experiences, choices, and consequences, and if you don’t want to talk about yourself, share the experiences of people you know.

éBe my parent, not my friend. Share your values and set the rules and discuss the social risks of underage drinking beyond just drunk driving.

The Century Council has developed a comprehensive program tailored specifically for mothers and daughters including:

éA website, www.girlsanddrinking.org, for mothers and daughters with additional information on how to have the underage drinking conversation and links to additional national and local resources related to underage drinking.

éBooklets for mothers, detailing how to begin the conversation, sustain the conversation, and have an impact as well as information explaining the facts about alcohol, and addressing issues such as peer pressure and creative ways to say “no” to alcohol.

éA blog, hosted by the Society for Women’s Health, for moms and daughters to discuss their experiences and connect with others on this issue.

éA media partnership with The N, a nighttime network for teens, to further build public awareness among young women about the dangers of underage drinking including sponsorship of episodes of Degrassi a critically acclaimed teen drama that follows a group of tenth and eleventh graders at Degrassi Community School as they deal with the trials and tribulations of adolescence and which features underage drinking themes.

“We look forward to helping to facilitate the distribution of materials and messages related to this important project,” said Kathy Durbin of Montgomery County, Maryland’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

Additionally, the US Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association will partner with The Century Council on this initiative. The National Soccer Team Players Association will endorse “Girl Talk” through personal appearances at functions and schools, in print and online media, public service announcements and other integrated marketing initiatives.

Through its official fan club alone, The Ponytail Posse, the US Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association, has the potential to reach millions of girls around the world.

“Girls need to be informed of the toll that underage drinking can take not only on their health but also on their grades and reputations. Myself and my teammates want all of the young girls out there who look up to us as role models to know that underage drinking is wrong and it’s something they need to talk about with their mothers,” said Kristine Lilly, two-time Olympic gold medalist.

This feature was provided by The Society for Women’s Health Research, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of women through research, education, and advocacy.