Table 4.

Opportunities for interventions and public policy to address alcohol use by children

Interventions

Multidisciplinary interventions are needed across the continuum of childhood alcohol drinking, spanning initiation of use, problematic use, and clinical alcohol use disorder. Family-based and school-based interventions are needed to encompass the complex and contextual determinants of childhood alcohol use, including parenting, social support and coping skills. Innovative alternatives need to be developed for resource-constrained settings, where access to treatment is limited.

Policies

The WHO’s ‘best buys’ provide guidance on the most cost-effective policies and strategies to prevent harmful alcohol use3: Regulate the availability of alcohol, including defining and enforcing a minimum legal drinking age and enforce bans on selling alcohol in schools and at events that attract children. Restrict and enforce bans on marketing of products that contain alcohol, including on social media and internet-based advertising. Increase taxes on alcohol and regulate prices.