Children's Attitudes to Alcohol and Awareness of Alcohol‐Related Problems*

Summary An interview study of 8–9‐year‐old New Zealand children and their mothers revealed considerable consistency in reports of the children's experience with alcohol. The majority had tried alcohol and a quarter had at least a sip or drink in a typical month. The context of use was a parental one for the majority of children. Two‐thirds of their fathers and 40% of their mothers had at least one drink in a typical week and there was a small positive relationship between parents' use and the frequency of the child's alcohol use. The children's attitudes towards alcohol were assessed using the Jahoda Judgement of Photographs Task and despite their personal use of alcohol the majority of children demonstrated negative attitudes to alcohol. This was particularly marked among the half of the children who were aware of an alcohol‐related problem in their immediate social environment. Among the other half of the children, unaware of any alcohol‐related problems, there was a tendency for the children of parents who drank more to have more positive attitudes.