Parental provision of alcohol 1 HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CONTEXT OF AN ADOLESCENT’S FIRST ALCOHOLIC DRINK? EVIDENCE THAT PARENTAL PROVISION MAY REDUCE LATER HEAVY EPISODIC DRINKING Word Count: [4861] Running Head: [parental provision of alcohol]

Parental provision of alcohol 2 This study examined the extent to which a retrospective measure of parental provision of the first alcoholic beverage was related to current heavy episodic drinking and current responsible drinking practices. Sample: 608 14-17 year olds from the 2007 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Measures: Source of first alcoholic beverage (friends/parents/others), source of current alcohol, age of onset of alcohol use, current responsible drinking practices, and proportion of current friends who drink. Results: Binary logistic and multiple regression procedures revealed that parental provision of an adolescent‟s first alcoholic beverage predicted lower current heavy episodic drinking, and responsible drinking mediated this association. Discussion: The results suggested that for adolescents who become alcohol users, parental provision of the first drink may reduce subsequent alcohol-related risks compared to introduction to alcohol by friends and other sources. Alcohol-related risks remain significant for adolescents who consume alcohol, independent of who is the provider. Key words: Adolescents; alcohol; first alcohol use; heavy episodic drinking; parents; parent supply; parent provision; responsible alcohol use Parental provision of alcohol