If I suspect my teenage child is drinking what should I do?

If I suspect my teenage child is drinking what should I do?

Bear in mind, first of all, that most teenagers of certain age do drink and we must as a parents think about that. Not about accusing, but about giving information that's helpful and is not judgmental. If you have some concerns about your child that he's drinking quite problematically, then maybe you'd take them to a G.P or to the school counsellor. Thinking about it in context, in the last 10 years there's been quite a lot of press about young people and teenage drinking. There's also been a lot of promotion of alcoholic drinks towards younger people. It's important to think as the parent that it's very different - there are immediate concerns about “Oh my goodness, what is happening to my child?”. Try to find the level of that, give helpful advice and information, and talk to someone or contact a local alcohol service that can explain the situation.