Growing up with Alcohol

In recent years, the growing incidence of the use and misuse of alcohol by children and adolescents has been causing increasing concern within society. How widespread is the problem and why do children drink alcohol? In "Growing up with Alcohol," Emma Fossey investigates the development and knowledge of attitudes of young children relating to alcohol and presents reviews of available evidence on the drinking habits of young people and on the effectiveness of alcohol education. By examing children's orientations to alcohol, including their own experiences of drinking and their attitudes to adult drinking, as well as their perceptions of cultural norms in relation to drinking, she uncovers the motives behind their consumption.

"Growing up with Alcohol" will be invaluable to all students, lecturers and professionals in social work and social policy and to anyone involved in alcohol abuse or working with children.

The use and misuse of alcohol by young people is an established concern. Initiatives designed to educate the young about the potential dangers of alchol are frequently directed solely at teenagers. Growing up with Alcohol argues that this may be leaving it too late. Emma Fossey presents a detailed account of a study of children aged between five and ten years, carried out through a series of ingenious game-like activities. She explodes the myth that young children are ignorant about alcohol and provides valuable insights about how very young children learn about alcohol and about their early perceptions of alcohol. The study questions the effectiveness of past alcohol education and argues strongly that future initiatives should develop innovative and user-friendly alcohol education materials for use in primary as will as in secondary schools and colleges.

Emma Fossey is a Research Fellow in the Alcohol Research Group at the University of Edinburgh.