Turning to alcohol to cope with pressure

The study by Turning Point, ‘Bottling It Up: The Next Generation’, has claimed that 2.6 million children in the UK are living with a parent who drinks at hazardous levels.

The average alcohol consumption of parents was 30 units per day (10 times recommended limits) — 24 for mothers and 33 for fathers — the equivalent of three bottles of wine or up to 15 pints of beer, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.

The study report said: “A key issue was that mothers often felt under pressure to be ‘perfect’ and that alcohol was a way of coping with the demands of motherhood.
“Some said a lack of support from their partners was a trigger for their drinking. Others were drinking at least three nights a week and consuming more than 70 units — the equivalent of nearly eight bottles of wine.”

The report found that children’s mental health could be affected by parental drinking, with eating disorders, depression and even psychosis developing in adulthood.

Children living with affected parents were also found to be more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol at an earlier age and to progress to problematic use, the study report added. Of 100 parents surveyed, 28 per cent admitted their drinking meant their children often either missed school or found it difficult to concentrate at school.