Alcohol and family life

There are all sorts of families and all sorts of ways that alcohol can affect family life.

Many of the rituals of family life – from movie night to Sunday lunch – may involve alcohol. Yet alcohol-related harms can put a strain on relationships and create a range of problems for both adults and children.

A family getting ready to have a meal together round a dining table in their kitchen. The man is pouring freshly cooked carrots and peas out of a cooking pan onto a plate on the table while the rest of his family get ready to serve themselves.
Alcohol and families

There are all sorts of families and all sorts of ways that alcohol can affect family life.
A family walk down a footpath in a green field.
Parents who drink too much alcohol

Living with a parent or carer who drinks harmfully can be very difficult for a child.
Two sets of legs walking in an autumnal street; one from a child and one from an adult.
Alcohol and parenting: children and teenagers

March 2018 | 12 minutes

There’s so much confusing information around alcohol and parenting that parents can find it difficult to know what to do for the best.

Relationships and wellbeing

Drinking can shape our relationships and wellbeing. Check out how changes - big or small - can make a difference.

Concerned senior women
Alcohol and relationships: how alcohol can affect us

Alcohol can affect our relationships in all sorts of ways and can have a negative impact on our own health and wellbeing and that of those we love.
Playful Grandparents In Park
8 top tips for healthier drinking and happier relationships

Healthier drinking usually makes for happier relationships with others and can improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Safety, harm and loss

Some experiences with alcohol involve serious harm or loss, and these pages share information and support for difficult situations.

Woman in support group 2
Alcohol and domestic abuse

Alcohol alone is not a cause of domestic abuse, and is never an excuse.
Image of two people holding hands in comfort
Caring for someone with an alcohol or drug problem who is seriously ill

Many people in the UK have some kind of substance use problem, and many families will include at least one person who is experiencing problems with alcohol and/or illicit or prescription drugs.
Two women supporting each other at home
Alcohol-related bereavement

Alcohol-related bereavement can cause you to experience a whole range of emotions.

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