Parent-young people communication about alcohol

Concerns over alcohol misuse have become central to government policy due to two risingand largely distinct societal problems: crime and anti-social behaviour, and risks to healthas a result of binge-drinking and chronic-drinking (Cabinet Office, 2004). In tackling these concerns, a number of studies have offered useful and important insights into how parents can affect the development of their children's drinking behaviour, for example through communication, supervision, and modelling (see Barnes et al., 2000). However, little attention has been given to qualitatively describing how parent/young peoplecommunication and supervision in relation to alcohol actually takes place. Consequently, there is an urgent need for more qualitative insights and understandings into how parents communicate and supervise young people in relation to alcohol. The present research therefore aimed to redress this imbalance, and in doing so, produce an evidence-based newsletter to meet this identified need.