Early alcohol use with parental permission: Psychosocial characteristics and drinking in late adolescence

- Early sipping alcohol with parent supervision (ESA) is common, yet poorly understood.
- We examined ESA's sociocultural context and its impact on late adolescent drinking.
- A sociocultural context supportive of alcohol use was associated with ESA.
- ESA predicted increased levels of alcohol use and problems in late adolescence.
- Findings suggest that ESA is a viable target for preventive interventions.

The earliest experiences with alcohol for many children occur in the family context with parental supervision. The current study examined individual and sociocultural characteristics associated with early (prior to age 13 years) sipping and tasting alcohol with parental permission in two longitudinal community samples. Early sipping/tasting was also tested as a predictor of frequency and quantity of alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems seven years later in late adolescence. Early sipping/tasting with parental permission was associated with a sociocultural context supportive of alcohol use (e.g., parental alcohol use, permissive rules about alcohol use in the home, parental attitudes about underage drinking, perceived peer norms), adolescent sensation seeking and disinhibition (e.g., surgency, externalizing behavior) and appraisals of alcohol (negative outcome expectancies and negative implicit alcohol associations). Early sipping/tasting predicted increased frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, and increased alcohol-related problems in late adolescence, even after controlling sociocultural and individual difference variables. Findings suggest that early sipping/tasting with parental permission is not benign and is a viable target for preventive interventions.