Parenting Styles and Substance Use: What a Study with Brazilian Families Shows
The use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and e-cigarettes among adolescents does not depend only on individual choices: parents’ behavior and the way they raise their children play a decisive role. A recent study conducted with more than four thousand adolescents in the state of São Paulo showed that, although there is a strong similarity between substance use patterns in parents and their children, this “cycle” is not inevitable. In particular, more structured and affectionate parenting styles can reduce the risk of heavy use of multiple substances during adolescence.
Adolescence is a period of greater vulnerability for initiating the use of psychoactive substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and, more recently, e-cigarettes. These behaviors are associated with physical and mental health problems, academic difficulties, and a higher risk of dependence in adulthood. At the same time, many adolescents live with parents who also use these substances, raising the question: to what extent does parents’ use “transfer” to their children?
The study, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, analyzed 4,280 dyads (pairs) consisting of adolescents aged 12 to 17 and their parents or guardians in four municipalities in the state of São Paulo¹. The researchers used a statistical approach called latent class analysis to identify substance use profiles among parents and adolescents, considering alcohol, binge drinking (episodes of heavy drinking), cigarettes, marijuana, and e-cigarette use. Instead of examining each drug separately, the study focused on behavioral patterns, such as abstainers, primarily alcohol users, and multiple-substance users.
Three main groups were identified among both parents and adolescents: an abstinent or very low-use group, a higher alcohol-use group, and a polysubstance use group, involving the combined use of several substances. Among parents, about half were in the low-risk group, while approximately one in eight was classified as a polysubstance user. Among adolescents, most were abstinent, but a smaller group reported recent alcohol consumption, binge drinking episodes, and use of other products, including vapes.
One of the study’s key findings was the strong correlation between parent and child profiles. When parents were abstinent, there was about a 90% probability that the adolescent would also not use substances. On the other hand, when parents belonged to the polysubstance group, the likelihood that the adolescent would also be a polysubstance user was approximately three times higher compared to children of abstinent parents. Even so, more than half of adolescents in families where parents used multiple substances remained abstinent, showing that intergenerational transmission is not automatic.
To better understand why some adolescents “escape” this family risk pattern, the study examined the role of parenting styles. Four classic styles were considered: authoritative (high warmth and high control), authoritarian (low responsiveness and high control), permissive (high warmth and low control), and neglectful (low responsiveness and low control). These styles were measured based on adolescents’ perceptions of how close their parents are, how much they communicate, set rules, and monitor behavior.
The results showed that the authoritative style had an important protective effect. Among adolescents with polysubstance-using parents, those who perceived their caregivers as authoritative were less likely to fall into the polysubstance group and more likely to remain abstinent. In other words, even when parents use substances at high levels, a parenting style that combines affection, supervision, and clear rules can significantly reduce the risk of heavy multiple-drug use during adolescence.
The authoritarian style also showed some protective effect against polysubstance use, reducing the likelihood that adolescents with high-risk parents would become polysubstance users. However, this style was associated with a greater likelihood of specific transmission of alcohol use—that is, it increased the probability that children of parents who drink would also consume alcohol. Permissive and neglectful styles did not show consistent protective effects, and in some cases estimates were limited by the small number of adolescents in certain profile combinations.
An important point is that, even in contexts with more protective parenting styles, parental alcohol consumption remained associated with a higher risk of alcohol use among adolescents. This suggests that, in the case of alcohol, the influence of modeling and normalization within the household may be particularly strong, possibly because it is a legal, widely available, and socially accepted substance.
From a public health perspective, the study highlights two key messages. First, substance use patterns are partly “inherited” within families, both in terms of risk and protection. Abstinent or low-consuming parents tend to have children who also do not use drugs, indicating that healthy behaviors can be transmitted across generations. Second, even when parents engage in risky use, more structured parenting styles—characterized by presence, warmth, and clear limits—can reduce the likelihood that adolescents will develop patterns of polysubstance use.
These findings reinforce the importance of prevention programs that involve families, not just adolescents. Interventions that strengthen parenting skills, promote dialogue, encourage consistent rules, and address beliefs about alcohol and other drugs can have a meaningful impact on reducing substance use among young people. At the same time, the study underscores that policies and actions aimed at reducing risky substance use among adults also indirectly benefit the next generation.
In summary, the article shows that:
- There is strong alignment between substance use profiles of parents and children, especially in the case of abstinence.
- Polysubstance-using parents increase the risk of polysubstance use among adolescents, but this risk is not inevitable.
- Authoritative and, to some extent, authoritarian parenting styles can mitigate intergenerational transmission of polysubstance use, although they do not eliminate the effect of parental alcohol consumption on children’s alcohol use.
- The combination of parental modeling and the quality of relationship and supervision appears crucial to understanding why some adolescents use substances while others, in similar contexts, remain abstinent.
Informing parents, educators, and policymakers about these mechanisms is essential for developing more effective prevention policies and programs aimed at reducing alcohol and other drug use during adolescence.
References
- Sanchez Z, Caetano S, Valente JY, Soares-Santos LE, Cogo-Moreira H. Does the apple fall far from the tree? When parenting styles disrupt the intergenerational pattern of substance use. Addictive Behaviors. 2026;174:108567. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108567