I remember as a kid getting to taste a sip of my mom's glass of wine or my dad's beer on very special occasion. My parents thought that by exposing me to alcohol at a young age I wouldn't go crazy when I got older, but there was always someone who was quick to point out that they were running the risk of turning me into an alcoholic. As you can imagine, there have been studies about this topic, and their findings may surprise you!

In a recent study, one in five mothers have the opinion that children who sip alcohol at a young age will be better equipped to handle peer pressure to drink in in middle school, and 40% of mothers believe that forbidding alcohol only makes their children want it more.

But in the last ten years scientists have learned that the earlier children are exposed to alcohol, the more likely they are to form a dependence. Ralph Hingson, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research says that "The safest thing for parents to do is try and delay the exposure to alcohol for as long as possible."

Do you let your kids have a sip once in a while, or for special occasions Take the poll below.

 

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