Alcohol abstinence or harm-reduction? Parental messages for college-bound light drinkers. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: LaBrie, Joseph W.; Boyle, Sarah C.; Napper, Lucy E.
• Is Part Of: Addictive behaviors. Volume 46(2015)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 13
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Parent communication -- Alcohol use -- Pre-college alcohol involvement; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; Nicotine addiction -- Periodicals; Smoking -- Periodicals; Gambling -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.02.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4603

Abstract

Abstract: Parental communications about alcohol can have a significant impact on college students' alcohol use; however, it is unclear what types of communication may be most beneficial for reducing alcohol risk, particularly among students who have already initiated alcohol use. The present research examines differences in alcohol use and employment of drinking protective behavioral strategies between pre-college matriculation high school seniors receiving predominantly abstinence parent messaging and students primarily receiving harm-reduction parent messaging. Students who identified as light drinkers were recruited during their last month in high school and completed an online assessment of alcohol use and parent alcohol communication. Analyses revealed that, in comparison to light drinkers who primarily received harm-reduction messaging from parents, light drinkers who received more abstinence messaging reported less frequent alcohol use, lower peak alcohol consumption, and greater use of protective drinking strategies aimed at changing the way they drank and avoiding serious hazards associated with drinking. Findings from this study underscore the utility of messages related to abstinence even for parents who are aware that their children have had previous experiences with alcohol and highlight the need for longitudinal research assessing additional mechanisms associated with message efficacy among light, moderate and heavy drinking students transitioning to college. Highlights: We examine parental alcohol communications among pre-college light drinkers. Parents were evenly split in terms of primary alcohol communication strategy. Light drinkers receiving more abstinence messages drank less. Those receiving more harm-reduction messages used fewer protective strategies.