Belief in the protective effect of early alcohol sipping was most common in white, college-educated, employed women. The researchers speculate that this could be because drinking is more socially acceptable among this group, so parents are more tolerant of underage drinking. It could also be that women in this group are more concerned than other moms about preventing underage drinking, and thus more likely to try to curb the behavior by introducing alcohol to their kids early.
Lead study author Christine Jackson, a public health analyst at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina, notes that parents who hold such pro-sipping beliefs are not only more tolerant of their children tasting alcohol, but they’re also more likely to involve their kids in adult alcohol-related activities, like letting them fetch or pour drinks for adults — all of which could have unintended effects.
“It is possible that an early introduction to alcohol, even when it is limited to sips and even when it is meant to discourage child interest in alcohol, could backfire…leading to more drinking later on,” says Jackson. The authors call for further examination into the effects of parents’ pro-sipping beliefs on children’s alcohol use as they grow older.
“Public health education programs are needed so that more parents know that home drinking norms do not curtail risky drinking in peer contexts,” the authors conclude.