COLUMBUS, Ohio — More places to toss back a cocktail or two mean parents are likely to take advantage of it.
What You Need To Know
- An Ohio State study said parents’ alcohol use was related to how many bars and restaurants were near their daily activities
- Parents didn’t necessarily drink more frequently, but drank more total alcohol over a year’s time
- Data did not show if parents had their children with them while they drank alcohol
A study by researchers at the Ohio State University found how many bars and restaurants were near where parents worked, shopped, and where their kids go to school correlated with alcohol use.
Previous studies have shown similar outcomes when bars and restaurants are in neighborhoods where families live.
“What we found suggests that parents may choose where they shop based on opportunities to engage in other activities, including drinking,” said Bridget Freisthler, Ph.D., who was co-author of the study and is a professor of social work at OSU. “They may also be cued to drink when they go out shopping or when they finish work by the convenience of nearby bars and restaurants.”
The study surveyed 1,599 people in 30 cities in California in 2015, before the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants were parents and guardians with at least one child aged 10 years or younger, who lived with them at least half the time.
The journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence published the study, which was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
