Mr. Ian O'Sullivan:

We thank the committee for the opportunity to present our research. The World Health Organization has identified Europe as the heaviest drinking region in the world. It is noteworthy that the Irish population consumes more alcohol than the European average. Alcohol plays a complex role in Irish society. It represents an integral part of modern culture and is generally consumed for reasons of relaxation, enjoyment and sociability. However, alcohol is a leading cause of global suffering, implicated in more than 60 diseases and numerous premature deaths each year. The assistant State pathologist, Dr. Margaret Bolster, has stated that the majority of her cases are alcohol related.

In Ireland, many of those aged between 12 and 18 years are drinking regularly, and young Irish people report being drunk more often than their European counterparts. It has been reported that young people who drink alcohol before the age of 15 years are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependency than those who wait until they are 21. Each additional year of delayed drinking reduces the likelihood of alcohol dependence by 14%. A number of factors influence the age at which individuals start using alcohol. These include peer pressure, societal factors and parental factors. Parents serve as role models for their children in imparting important health-related knowledge and appropriate behaviour. Parents are the most influential factor on their children during their formative years. The alcohol consumption pattern of the parent observed by the child is taken to be the norm and is a behaviour which they are likely to emulate. As one child noted in a recent Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, ISPCC, report, “If you see your parents get drunk, whether you like it or not, it will have an effect on your life”.

A recent systematic review highlights that previous research on the subject of the parent-child relationship and alcohol use have found inconclusive or weak evidence. Mongan et alnoted the need to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes and alcohol consumption and adolescent alcohol consumption in an Irish context. Personally, we observed different drinking patterns among our peers. We found this interesting because it is well known that peer pressure is one of the principal factors in alcohol consumption among adolescents. We realised there must be other influences impacting adolescent drinking behaviour. Thus, the aim of our research was to investigate the relationship between parental attitude and consumption of alcohol and their adolescents' alcohol consumption.