The teenage phrase-book – a parental guide to teenage alcohol use

2010-05-06

Surely everyone knows that talking to your teenagers about matters such as alcohol is a good thing? It is just a question of how. The teenage phrase-book has advice, arguments and facts that parents could use. Should I wait up for them to come home at night? Is it OK to “poke around” in their room if I’m worried? Should I buy them a bottle of champagne when they leave school?

In order to support parents of teenagers, the Swedish National Institute of Public Health sends out the teenage phrase-book to slightly more than 96,000 households with children born in 1996.

The teenage phrase-book was first published in 2001, and is written together with researchers, field workers, physicians, psychologists, family therapists, parents and teenagers. The purpose of the book is to support parents in preparing their teenagers to make their own, thought-out decisions and to make is easier to talk about alcohol at home. Our hope is that this will postpone their alcohol debut. The later the alcohol debut, the lower the risk of future alcohol-related problems.

Continuous work shows positive results

Since the first edition of the teenage phrase-book was published, the attitudes to teenage alcohol use have changed among parents. Back then, one in four girls in the 9th grade stated that their parents bought them wine. These days, only one in ten does. This is a positive development!

Teenagers drink less in general – but some drink more

Today, most teenagers drink less. However, those who do drink, drink more, which is a worrying trend. And it is still too easy to get hold of alcohol.
– Parents play a very important role, and we have to keep the discussion alive to spread the message that teenagers and alcohol do not mix. The teenage phrase-book and other informative efforts play an important part in this work, says Bitti Jonasson, Communication Manager at the Swedish National Institute of Public Health.