BY AMANDA MILLER Risky or Rite of Passage? Underage Drinking at Home
28 SEPTEMBER 2024 | NOLAFAMILY.COM idea, and some who are even unsure after weighing both sides. However, this controversial topic includes many sides, and it’s important to take note of what the experts recommend. WAIT, IS IT EVEN LEGAL? “I would rather it be done under my roof than somewhere else.” When it comes to teens drinking under their own parents’ roofs, many parents share this same sentiment: they would much rather their teen drink around them at home than anywhere else. Other reasons behind their approval stem from removing the taboo of drinking, encouraging better habits for when they’re older, creating a safer and monitored environment while the teen is drinking, and remembering what drinking was like when “we were their age.” While many parents approve, there are just as many parents who are against the
Often before the conversation even begins, several parents wonder if teens drinking at home is even allowed. What may come as a shock to many is that underage consumption of alcohol is actually legal in many states, including Louisiana, when consumed in a private residence. Louisiana’s policy, which can be found in the Alcohol Policy Information System (a project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,) also states that it is legal when consumed with a parent/guardian or spouse present. BUT AREN’T THEY STILL DEVELOPING? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), yes, and because of this, AAP urges parents to establish rules and prevent their teens from drinking because it’s a “critical time for brain growth.” Lynn R. Schechter, PhD, MPAP, a medical psychologist, explains, “Alcohol is a toxin, so it will impact the brain of any
person who consumes it. A human brain continues to develop for the first 25 years of life, and so that is, in theory, when it is more vulnerable to the impact of substances since neuronal connections are still forming. This is especially problematic because the frontal lobe, which is responsible for making good decisions, isn’t yet developed, and alcohol in the body can impede its development.” Knowing the effects alcohol might have on your teens ahead of time could also be a teachable moment. One local parent, Jacki S. (initial is used because of requested anonymity), shares, “Allowing your teens (older to high school/college teens) to taste various alcohols and drink in moderation teaches them to drink more responsibly and enables a parent to have productive conversations with their children before they leave home. I want to see how it affects my child so we can talk about it, particularly as it relates to making sure you have control over yourself, make
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator