Over the Limit: The Truth about Families and Alcohol

The national charity 4Children has warned of a silent epidemic of alcohol misuse by British families. In a new report, ‘Over the Limit: The Truth about Families and Alcohol’, the charity warns that too many parents remain oblivious to the negative effects that alcohol can have on their parenting. It says that an alarming 19% believe alcohol has a positive effect on their parenting ability and 62% of parents say that their drinking behaviour has no impact on their family at all. Over the Limit says it does.

Over the Limit: The Truth about Families and Alcohol highlights the stark impact of drinking in family crisis and demands better support and information for families to turn around their dependency and prevent chronic problems from taking root.

Over the Limit highlights that:

22% of children live with a parent who drinks hazardously

6% of children (around 700,000 across the country) live with a dependent drinker

62% of children who were subject to care proceedings were from families with parental alcohol misuse

More than a third of all domestic violence cases involve alcohol

The report warns of the stark reality of life for families where drinking has reached hazardous levels and is calling for a series of wideranging reforms including a commitment from the alcohol industry to recognise their responsibility to the wellbeing of consumers by diverting 1% of revenue to fund a new alcohol awareness campaign aimed at families.

Research from the report reveals that:

Just under a quarter of parents continued to drink as much alcohol as before their baby’s birth and that 17% actually increased their consumption.

29% of mothers and 30% of their partners drink more than the recommended units per week.

5% of mothers increased their drinking during pregnancy and 8% continued to drink the same amount as before they became pregnant.

Only 9% of parents recognised that there was a negative impact of drinking or drug use on their family life. 19% said that their drinking impacted ‘positively’ on their children.

9% of parents who drink on a weekly basis thought their families benefited financially.

Anne Longfield OBE, 4Children Chief Executive, said:

This report demands that we think again about our relationship with alcohol for our families’ sake. The statistics speak for themselves with consumption of alcohol known to be a major factor in family crisis – from domestic abuse and family conflict to a breakdown in family relationships and the ability to parent.

It is no use waiting for alcohol and drugs to take their grip on families and only intervene when a child protection case is called. We need to see a greater focus on families within wider strategies around addiction.

Addiction and the subsequent breakdown in many families is the end of a story that often starts with so-called ‘normal’ use. With proper warnings to parents and better awareness of the impact that alcohol can have, we can avoid the crises that addiction can cause.”

Sally Russell, Netmums founder said:

“While it’s always the priority that children are kept safe, it’s also vital that parents feel supported in order to begin to change behaviour, rather than feeling preached at. No parent wants to be an addict harming their own children, so services must work together to provide the best environment for change.

“Families blighted by drug and alcohol abuse need to know there are family-focused services that will help them tackle their problems and become better parents – and professionals working with these families on a day to day basis must have the confidence and skills to broach the issue and ensure troubled parents can access this help.

Getting this right would make an enormous difference to the lives of children in the families affected, and make substantial inroads into ending the devastating emotional and economic effects of substance abuse.”

Recommendations of the report:

A revision of the ‘responsibility deal’ with the UK alcohol industry to ensure they recognise their responsibility to the wellbeing of consumers and their families by diverting an additional 1% of revenue (approximately £60m) to fund new alcohol awareness campaigns and treatment services, particularly those aimed at families.

Supplement existing ‘danger warnings’ for pregnant women on alcohol packaging with additional labelling warning of the potential impacts of drinking on children.

Alcohol awareness – ‘Beer Goggles’ – sessions should be offered widely through schools, children’s centres, and youth clubs to ensure we are all fully informed of the dangers of drinking alcohol when raising children.

Midwives and Health Visitors need to redouble efforts to identify families for whom alcohol or drugs are a problem and, in addition, provide clear and unambiguous advice to all expectant and new parents about the harm that alcohol and drugs can do.

A ‘whole family’ approach must be adopted to providing support to those suffering from alcohol or substance misuse to ensure we harness the resource of the family to support those in treatment, and to effectively identify and reduce harm to other family members.