“We need to rethink what is safe when it comes to parental alcohol use”

“Every time you drink heavily, even if you do so infrequently, it can affect your role as a parent,” says researcher Barbara Carvalho.

She led a comprehensive review of existing knowledge carried out by researchers at the University of Agder in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University.

The researchers examined 68 studies published between 1991 and 2026.

One of the conclusions is that more research is needed on non-dependant alcohol use and parenting practices.

It's likely that parents' behaviour changes when they drink, but little is known about how children perceive these changes, Carvalho explains.

When a child is exposed to these behaviours, even moderate drinking may pose a significant public health risk.

Parents with alcohol disorders do not cause the most social harm

“The reality is that parents with alcohol use disorders do not cause the most overall damage to society. Most children who are negatively affected by their parents' alcohol use have parents without an alcohol related diagnosis,” Carvalho says.

The review differs from most other studies on parenting and alcohol use, which often focus on how this relationship directly affects children.

This time, the aim was to look more closely at how drinking alcohol around children may influence parenting practices and change how one behaves as a parent.

This includes everyday parenting interactions and responsibilities, such as communication, warmth, and setting boundaries, as well as parents’ attitudes towards their children’s own alcohol use.

There is no safe limit

The study reveals a clear association between alcohol use and what the researchers’ call 'impaired parenting practices.'

Higher alcohol consumption leads, perhaps unsurprisingly, to an increased risk of stricter discipline, conflict, reduced attentiveness, and lower-quality relationships between parent and child.

“One of the key takeaways of this study is not that every single glass of wine or beer is dangerous, but rather that there is no safe limit. Alcohol use affects parents, parenting practices, and children in different ways. We need to rethink what's safe,” Carvalho says.

Researching the effects of non-dependant drinking can be challenging

These cases are usually far more difficult to identify because, as a society, we are less aware of them, the researcher explains.

"This is a problem because a range of behavioural patterns may exist that we are unaware of. Furthermore, this is complicated to study directly, as it would be unethical to make parents intoxicated and observe how they interact with their children,” says Carvalho.

She also notes that her intention is not to act as a moral authority or recommend abstinence. The goal is to highlight possible consequences.

The findings are largely based on results from Western countries. As many as 53 of the 68 studies included in the review originate from the United States.

The extent to which the findings can be applied across different cultures with different drinking habits and parenting practices is therefore limited.

Norwegians drink more then they do drink

Carvalho nevertheless believes that the findings related to non-dependent alcohol consumption are particularly relevant in Norway.

“Norwegians drink less frequently compared with most other European countries, but they consume more when they do drink. There are still strong norms associated with drinking at weekends or during some kind of celebration,” the researcher says.

Even though younger generations of Norwegians drink less, Carvalho believes that the habit of consuming large amounts when the occasion arises is precisely what makes the topic relevant.

The researcher hopes the study can help more parents become aware of how their drinking habits affect family life.

“In the Norwegian public health service, there's a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention. Therefore, there's already a system in place for preventive communication and other measures that draw our attention to how Norwegian drinking culture can affect the way we carry out our role as parents,” she says.

Reference:

Carvalho et al. Associations Between Parental Alcohol Use and Parenting Practices: A Systematic Review, Behavioral Sciences, 2026. DOI: 10.3390/bs16020236

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Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

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