Our series of Raising Teens Facebook Live discussions about alcohol and how it affects families was developed in association with Brighton & Hove’s Back on Track service, which offers support for families when a parent is drinking too much.

We were joined by practitioners from RU-OK? and Oasis Project as well as those directly affected by issues with alcohol addiction.

Join us on our Make (Good) Trouble Facebook page for all our Facebook Live discussions.

Episode 1: Teen drinking

We spoke to Luci Hammond from ru-ok? about teen drinking and how parents can better communicate with their teens about alcohol. Ru-ok? is an organisation which offers free advice and support to under 18s affected by substance misuse in Brighton & Hove. This discussion took place on 10 June 2021.

Episode 2: The impact of parental drinking

We spoke to counsellor, Sober Dave, and Sarah Acheson from Oasis Project about how a parent’s drinking can impact their teens. Oasis Project is a charity that supports families affected by drugs and alcohol. The discussion centred on how lockdown and the pandemic might have had an impact on parents’ drinking and what the knock-on effect has been on children. Dave talked candidly about his experiences of drinking, how that affected his family and relationships, and his decision to go sober. This discussion took place on 17 June 2021.

Episode 3: When does a parent’s drinking start to impact children?

In the third in our series of live discussions about parenting and alcohol, we talk to Sue Kleinman, Family Worker from Back on Track, and mother and daughter Suzanne and Lola about their experiences. This discussion took place on 23 June 2021.

Read the transcript: When does a parent’s drinking affect children?

Episode 4: Conflict and language around alcohol in families

In our last discussion we were joined by Josh Connolly, ambassador for NACOA, for a frank and supportive discussion about how we can open up discussions about alcohol and how to avoid conflict. Importantly, Josh gave us a real insight into how children are affected by a parent who drinks. He shared his story, of having a father who was an alcoholic, and then his own struggle with drink and becoming a father himself. And I think the most astonishing thing Josh told us in his interview was that “one in five children are living with a parent that drinks hazardously, so enough to harm the people around them”.

Help and support

Back on Track, brighton-hove.gov.uk/back-track-brighton-hove, support for families in Brighton & Hove when a parent is drinking too much.

Oasis Project is on Twitter @Oasis_Project_, on Facebook facebook.com/OasisPrjct and Instagram @oasis_project_. Their website is at: oasisproject.org.uk
Also Young Oasis provides a place of safety and support for children and young people who have been affected by a family member’s drug or alcohol misuse.
Oasis Project also links with One Stop, Brighton’s specialist midwifery team for pregnant women/people where alcohol or other substances are a concern. They offer care and support by a multi-disciplinary team.

RU-OK? offers free confidential advice, guidance, support and information on drugs, alcohol and sexual health for under 18s in Brighton & Hove, their parents / carers or concerned others.

NACOA, National Association for Children of Alcoholics, offers advice and information, including a helpline 0800 358 3456, message boards and online chat.

BeSober is a non-profit community organisation helping individuals to manage and control their alcohol intake and to transform their mindset, health and wellbeing around alcohol.

You can find Dave Wilson on Instagram as @soberdave, and Twitter as @soberdaveuk and on his website: davidwilsoncoaching.com. He also has a podcast called One for the Road.

Find out more about Josh Connolly on his website: joshconnolly.co.uk. Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Join our Facebook Group, Raising Teens. Our private Facebook group offers a safe space to ask for help, to share your parenting challenges, and to find and offer support to other parents. We also run Q&A advice sessions on all kinds of parenting subjects – so no one feels alone.