Further Findings on the Intergenerational Transmission of Alcohol Consumption

Using 43,817 parent–child pairs from 23 waves of the HILDA Survey, I study the intergenerational transmission of alcohol use within a rational model of trait transmission. Transmission is predominantly same‐sex: the mother–daughter elasticity is 0.10 and the father–son elasticity is 0.09; there is no father–daughter effect. Influence peaks at ages 15–17 and re‐emerges at 28–37 when offspring become parents; mothers also affect sons at both junctures. Comparisons with non‐birth (adoptee‐style) dyads show similar mother–daughter transmission, indicating norm‐based rather than biological channels. Identification concerns are addressed with placebo reshuffling and copula‐based corrections; estimates are robust across specifications. Men who remain childless are more likely to mirror maternal drinking, which—together with declining fertility and earlier alcohol‐control policies—helps explain cohort declines in male drinking. The interpretation is that parental norms anchor behavior at identity‐forming and role‐transition ages, with strong persistence thereafter. Policy should target these windows with gender‐specific, couple‐level interventions alongside population levers on price, availability and marketing.