IS ALLOWING YOUR CHILD TO DRINK A SMALL AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL ON NEW YEAR’S EVE HARMLESS OR IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTING?

As thoughts shift toward a fresh start in a new year, there is an energy in the air and hope in our hearts for new beginnings. Out with the old, in with the new! Let’s celebrate! Friends and families gather again to welcome in the New Year in a variety of ways. The question of whether to allow your child a sip of the bubbly might be yours to answer this season. For some, the answer is easy, others wrestle with it. Rather than take a side one way or the other, this article lays out two sides of the argument, introduces a third, and ends with some delightful non-alcoholic drinks for kids.

FOR ALLOWING A FEW SIPS

Those in favor of allowing their child to have alcohol on special occasions limit the use to sips, a taste, or a watered-down version. This is done in the company of family where they can be monitored. “Allowing teenagers to experience alcohol in a family environment can stop teenagers from binge drinking” was one response on the Quora forum.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports Underage Drinking as a serious public health problem. Underage drinking does not include sips of alcohol but rather a standard sized drink of 5 percent of alcohol or more.

Another often used argument in favor of allowing youth alcohol use references European countries and cultures where alcohol use is commonplace. Throughout Europe, the legal drinking age is 16 for wine and beer, and 18 for other types of alcohol. Alcohol tends to be consumed with meals either before, during, or after the meal. Since alcohol is absorbed through the stomach, any food in the stomach would also absorb the alcohol before it moves to the bloodstream. In a 2016 study of European adolescents drinking culture, alcohol use was identified in three categories, non, mild, and high/risky use. Iceland had the highest percentage of non-users, Germany fell below the average, and Denmark had the highest proportion of risky users. According to the study, 15 Percent of all adolescents across all countries can be classified as risky users. For more information from this study see, Alcohol drinking cultures of European adolescents | European Journal of Public Health | Oxford Academic (oup.com).

Some wonder if forbidding it is like demonizing it. Will youth then want to drink more? Others have expressed concern that if kids are not permitted to drink, they will go hog wild in college or when given the opportunity. Teens are notorious for pursuing something they are told not to do.

AGAINST ALLOWING A FEW SIPS

Counter to the argument that letting kids have sips at a young age teaches responsible behavior, is the idea that giving them alcohol actually reinforces approval of alcohol. When youth are given alcohol underage, the message they get is that alcohol use underage is okay.

UnderOhio law, children under the age of 21 may drink alcoholic beverages while under the supervision of their parents. Alcohol is the most frequently used substance according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Adults (age 21 or older) who started using alcohol before age 15 were almost six times as likely to have alcohol dependence or abuse than adults who first used alcohol at age 21.

A 2015 study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, followed a group of children from the beginning of sixth grade to the beginning of ninth grade to look at whether early sipping behavior was associated with patterns of early alcohol use. They excluded alcohol in the context of religious services. The children who had tried alcohol before sixth grade, mostly at home, mostly beer and wine, mostly given by a parent, were more likely to have had full drinks or gotten drunk by the beginning of ninth grade. The study concluded that parental attitudes about drinking may have a stronger influence than the drink itself. Parents that refuse to give sips are reinforcing rules for drinking at a legal age.

One parent approached the topic this way, “I would explain that beer is bittered as a preservative but also to make it not appealing to youngsters. And that human tastes change in the early 20s to like bitter more. You’ll like it better somewhere in your early 20s.”

NEITHER

Early sipping has not been found to cause problem behavior for teens but hasn’t been proven that it doesn’t either. There is no evidence that the teaching approach prevents youth from irresponsible behavior as they get older. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution here. Here’s an alternative option. Let the focus of the celebration be on the event rather than the alcohol. Make some special and fun drinks for those occasions when toasting is part of the event. Kids and teens will enjoy making or choosing a drink that is rare which will add to the specialness of the event.

ALTERNATIVES

Below are four fun non-alcoholic drinks that could be a tantalizing option for any curious youth. Most of these ideas come from the websites, 20 New Years Eve Drink Recipes for Kids (growingupgabel.com) and New Years Eve Drinks for Kids (3boysandadog.com).

ROCK CANDY SPRITZERS

You’ll need a 2-liter of Sprite, Rock Candy suckers, and plastic champagne cups. Fill the cups with Sprite and then place one candy stick in each. Swirl it around a little to get a nice color!

Technically, you could just warm up some apple cider and call it hot apple cider. But this recipe takes it a step further. And you’re only adding on a few minutes of work for a hot drink that is so delicious. Here is what makes this one special:

Apple Cider– pick a good one, if you can. I like one that is nice and cloudy, more than just apple juice labeled as cider.
Lemon Juice– make sure it is freshly squeezed, not from a bottle. It makes a huge difference!
Orange Juice– again, freshly squeezed for the best results.
Cinnamon Sticks– these are the whole sticks, and you throw them in whole. They flavor the cider – you won’t actually eat (drink) the cinnamon sticks.
Lemon Zest– this will flavor the cider. You remove this before serving.
Orange Zest– same as the lemon above.
Whole Cloves– Again, these are just to flavor the cider. They do bring a lot of flavor, so don’t skip them. You remove these before serving, as well.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple cider
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cinnamon sticks
1 strip of lemon zest
1 strip of orange zest
4 whole cloves

Instructions

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients.
Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, but do not allow it to boil.
When ready to serve, ladle the cider into cups or mugs, leaving the cinnamon, zest and cloves in the pot.
Serve warm.

MAGIC MERMAID WATER MOCKTAIL

Mocktails are a short way of saying “fake cocktails”. They contain zero alcohol but can be fairly sugar-heavy.

Mermaid Water Ingredients

Pineapple Juice
Gatorade Zero Sugar, Berry Flavored
Gatorade Frost, Glacier Freeze
Ice Cubes
Pineapple juice.

To Make Mermaid Water

Start by filling your glass completely to the top with ice cubes.
If you would like to use a straw, it’s best to insert your straw in the glass before pouring your liquids, otherwise the straw will disturb the layering process.
Pour the pineapple juice over the ice, filling the glass a little over a third full.
Next, very slowly pour the Gatorade Zero Berry over the pineapple juice, filling the glass about ¾ full.
If the Gatorade begins pouring too quickly it will mix into the pineapple juice.
A trick to help pour slowlyis to hold a spoon with the backside facing up across the glass and pour the Gatorade over the back side of the spoon.
It will slowly trickle into the glass and keep it from mixing with the pineapple juice.
Lastly, pour the Gatorade Frost Glacier Freeze slowly over the Gatorade Zero Berry.
The two will slightly mix together creating an ombre effect, while still separating from the pineapple juice.

PEPPERMINT MOCKTAIL

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups eggnog
5 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup of crushed peppermint candy
Club soda

Instructions

Combine sugar, water, and peppermint extract in a small saucepan.
Bring this to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the stove and allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes.
While that's cooling, combine peppermint extract, eggnog, vanilla ice cream and half the peppermint candy in a blender until smooth.
Place the rest of the crushed peppermints on a plate. Dip your cup’s rim in water or corn syrup, then in the peppermint candy.
Pour one cup of peppermint eggnog mixture into each cup, then top-off each glass with club soda.

Hopefully you and your children will have lots of fun this holiday and in all future celebrations. If you do find your teen has developed a problem with alcohol use and may need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Karita Nussbaum PhD, LISW-S, LICDC. Dr. Nussbaum is an experienced substance use and mental health counselor and is the Program Manager for the Gemini Program, C&A’s program that addresses both mental health and substance use concerns. Happy New Year from C&A!

If your teenager is experiencing issues with alcohol or other substance use issues, please call C&A at 330.433.6075.

Karita Nussbaum, PhD, LISW, LICDC has over thirty years of experience working in the field of behavioral health, over 10 are with substance use. She is currently the Program Manager for the Gemini Program which serves both mental health and substance use disorders at Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health.

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STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

16 Apr, 2024

The sixth annual Stark County Schools Mental Health Awareness Week is May 6-10 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), CommQuest Services and Pathway Caring for Children will partner to bring positive mental health awareness to more than 53,000 students and 7,000 support and administrative staff in all 18 Stark County School districts.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’ EXPERIENCES

By Chris Alpert • 16 Nov, 2023

In the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? as introduced and explored in first of this three-part blog post series, the participants engaged in multiple workshops that address race and racism. Interpersonally, the group of students grapple with their own differences and similarities, which impact the content and emotions they share with each other. There are several moments in the film that demonstrate the clear differences in the participants’ understanding of race. In the first workshop, the students were exposed to the idea that all white people are inherently racist seeing as American society was founded on principles meant to support white people (see more on structural racism here, here, and here for further understanding). Several white students in the film became emotional during that workshop. Most students remained quiet. Following this workshop, a black student and a white student were filmed independently of each other in their own homes and discussed the workshop and what they learned with their families. The white student discussed the differences between structural racism and bigotry with her mother and struggled to identify with the principles taught in the training. The black student stated to his mother how almost everything spoken in that workshop applied to him. The student further discussed his feelings by stating how overt racism is and yet how “subliminal” it is at the same time. How can something be so in your face and yet under your feet simultaneously? I immediately reflected on the dialectic of something being so clear and yet so vague. The film continued to grapple with student differences. At the beginning of the film, one white male student discussed with his mother how he feels that all individuals, if they apply themselves wholeheartedly, have the same chance of success regardless of their skin, gender, sexuality or other demographic factors. As a white man myself, I must confess that when I was in high school, I had the same mindset. How could it be different? Especially when I was reading mythic bootstrap literature in high school classes. Sure, the harder you work the more you deserve, but that statement does not work for all Americans. I had not accounted for racial factors that inhibit the growth of others, not to mention socio-economic factors, nationalities, citizenship status, gender and age. I continued to reflect on these statements and connected them to my experience in high school in New York City. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement responding to the murder of George Floyd, multiple private progressive schools in New York, including the one I went to, suffered scrutiny from students and alumni who identify as black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC). Multiple Instagram accounts surfaced with the handle “BLACK AT [school name].” I read the posts in 2020, and again before writing this post, and remembered feeling horrified knowing these acts of racism, bigotry and microaggressions happened all around me. This was subliminal to me, yet overt to others.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY

By Chris Alpert • 01 Nov, 2023

When I first came to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), I was unsure what to expect regarding race and diversity at both the organization and in Ohio. Having grown up in Harlem in New York City and attended graduate school in San Diego, CA, I had heard stereotypes about Ohio, specifically that Ohio was a very white state. At C&A during orientation, we discussed the role of first impressions for clients and discussed how the front desk staff are considered, “the directors of first impressions.” I loved this term. After orientation, I wondered, why we didn’t discuss demographic factors such as race and gender? We generally pick those up upon first impressions and have implicit biases and judgements in those first impressions. It was odd to me that we did not discuss these demographic factors. As the summer and fall progressed, I noticed that there were few discussions about race as it impacts C&A and the kids and families we serve. I noticed the number of white staff at C&A and reflected on my own privilege as a white man who can easily avoid the discussion of race because I do not suffer discrimination on an individual or systemic level. I reflected on my first experiences discussing race in high school. When I was in high school at the Calhoun School, my father received a grant to create a film and workshops that addressed race and racism seen through the eyes of high schoolers in New York City. My dad had completed a training hosted by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. This training opened my father’s eyes to his own white privilege and motivated him to teach kids, specifically white kids, about their privilege earlier in life. I first saw the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? (see more here ), toward the end of high school after it had come out in 2014.

THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 20 Oct, 2023

Ohio is at a crossroads once again with marijuana on the ballot next month. The following article is from Every Brain Matters, an organization that believes that the THC in marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug. Every Brain Matters is a trusted source of educational material based on the latest scientific evidence. One of the major criticisms of expanded marijuana legalization is that it makes the drug more accessible to minors. A brand-new study just published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that it has become a valid concern.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE – SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ILLUMINATING HOPE AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

By Savannah Okray • 11 Sep, 2023

For the last few months, C&A has been diligently preparing for the 18th Annual Let Your Light Shine – Southern Nights presented by The Repository by organizing auction items, printing tickets and using their creativity to make sure that eventgoers feel as though they are walking into an evening in the south, with barrels and lanterns to boot. The committee, led by chair Jen Frey and co-chair Molly Sperling and auction chair Stacy Remark are hard at work, it’s crucial to remember that this event raises awareness and dollars to support the agency’s programs and services amid suicide prevention and awareness month.

GROWING WITH YOUR CHILD AS A PARENT

By Dan Mucci • 30 Aug, 2023

I have grown up as a parent for the last four and half years! As luck would have it, a little more than four and a half years ago, I started at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) in the mission advancement department with my responsibilities being the marketing and development coordinator. Some might say, I did a good job of raising my two kids, who were teenagers at the time. But, boy, if I had known of the services C&A offered and even some of the parenting tools for my toolbox, parenting might have been even better.

WHAT DID YOU DID THIS SUMMER?

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 09 Aug, 2023

This summer I attended a Marijuana Prevention conference near Denver, Colorado. I was curious to know what the locals were saying after 10 years of legalization. The speakers included a Denver Police Commander, school resource officer, medical doctor, residential treatment program CEO, deputy from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Executive Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association and others related to educating the community and defending children’s rights. In the audience were parents, professionals and advocates for children from all over the United States. The conference was geared toward the protection of children.

FROM DARKNESS TO DISCOVERY: MY COLLEGE JOURNEY OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION

By Savannah Okray • 24 Jul, 2023

When I arrived on campus, I tried to immerse myself in college culture. I joined a sorority, the speech and debate team, and two other clubs which were extensive time commitments, factoring in no time to relax or focus on bettering my mental health. This lack of attention to my mentality, combined with my low self-esteem that prevented me from making friends led me down a dark hole in which some days I thought it would be better if I wasn’t here. About four weeks into school (at Ohio University), I realized that I had to do something, as I knew it was not safe for me to continue down the road I had been on. From there I moved home and attended an inpatient treatment center where I worked with counselors for five hours a day, learning coping skills and other ways in which I could help mend my suffering mental health. Through the lessons I learned I was able to get the skill set and help I needed and returned to school three weeks later.

THIS IS WHY WE CELEBATE

By Mary Kreitz • 19 Jun, 2023

This time of year there are a lot of celebrations happening in our communities – Memorial Day, Pride Festivals, Juneteenth celebrations, 4th of July and many more. These events aren’t just frivolous excuses to have parties, backyard barbecues or festivals. They are important cultural and civic events we need these celebrations.