Anti-alcohol campaign groups have launched a new campaign to discourage parents from drinking in front of their children, in an effort to stop them taking up the habit.

The Alliantie Alcoholbeleid Nederland says that almost half of Dutch children aged 12 to 16 have drunk alcohol, despite age limits, and much of that comes copying their parents’ behaviour.

The alliance, which includes midwives, youth health groups and anti-addiction campaigners, also wants the government to increase the price of alcohol, ban advertising and sponsoring and reduce its availability.

Research shows that children already form a picture of how parents deal with alcohol from the age of two, the AAN says.

‘So how parents and other family members behave matters… By not drinking alcohol in front of children and young people, you reduce the chance that they will start drinking (at a young age). And: the later young people start drinking, the better.’

Vandaag start de landelijke campagne ‘Zien drinken doet drinken’, om bewustwording te creëren dat alcoholgebruik in het bijzijn van kinderen niet verstandig is. Geef thuis het goede voorbeeld!🏡#ziendrinkendoetdrinken #AAN #alcohol #alcoholactieweek #drinkgedrag #opvoeding pic.twitter.com/xJMmpq3zwD

— Zien Drinken Doet Drinken (@ZienDoetDrinken) November 7, 2022

Research by the Trimbos addiction clinic shows almost half of 12 to 16 year-olds have drunk alcohol and in groups 7 and 8 of primary schools one in eight pupils have tried it.

However, the reports show big regional differences in alcohol use, with binge drinking (at least five drinks per session) more prevalent in the countryside due to ‘environmental and background factors’.