The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol also recommend that for young people under 18 no alcohol is the safest option.

Professor Patton, who is an adolescent health expert at the University of Melbourne, accepts the majority of teens drink alcohol before the legal age they can buy it at 18.

But he says below age 16, the strongest message parents should give is not to drink at all.

In the case of teens between 16 or 18, who are already drinking, allowing a couple of drinks at home or at parties with strict parental supervision is acceptable, he says.

However, teens who drink at parks or on beaches without supervision are more likely to develop problematic drinking, leading to a range of health and social concerns.

Click the link to read the whole article.