Sweden: Youth Welcome Parental Talks About Alcohol
Youth in Sweden welcome parental talks about alcohol, according to a new survey.
The survey conducted by Norstat and commissioned by IQ questioned 528 Swedish young people aged between 14 to 17 years. The results found,
- 93% think it is good if parents talk to them about alcohol,
- 97% think it is good if parents are available for an emergency, and
- 89% think parents should not be consuming that much alcohol.
Most young people want their parents to talk about alcohol. I think those are fantastic figures. I’m a parent of teeneagers myself and know that it is really not the case teenagers always show they want you to talk about alcohol, but they actually want it,” said Karin Hagman, IQ’s CEO, as per Accent.
IQ is an independent subsidiary of Systembolaget, the Swedish government-run alcohol retail monopoly, with a mission to contribute to a smarter relation to alcohol.
Teenagers are also children and even though they are older, parental alcohol consumption can still make them uncomfortable and feel insecure.
These IQ survey results were released before the Swedish tradition of Walpurgis Night, celebrated on April 30. Most celebrations and gatherings usually planned for Walpurgis Night have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many youth activities are also cancelled. According to Swedish police this situation for young people going out has already become more difficult and messy because so few adults are out.
Ms. Hagman advises parents to keep in touch with their children and to give them phone calls to check in on how they are doing. She also believes staying sober is better in order to be available in case children need their parents for an emergency.
Alcohol is known to cause many injuries, accidents, and fuels violence as well as weakens the immune system. Alcohol also increases stress, anxiety and other mental health problems. Staying alcohol-free during this pandemic can safeguard physical and mental health during this challenging time. This is why the World Health Organization has advised people to avoid alcohol during COVID-19.
