Kids who are allowed to sip beer or wine when they’re in middle school are more likely to drink on their own when they move into high school, according to a study from Brown University.

Many parents believe that by not demonizing alcohol, it better prepares them to deal with alcoholic beverages more wisely as they grow. While the study takes care not to condemn parents who allow their kids a little sip of alcohol in sixth grade, it stressed that these children were five times as likely to have a full drink by ninth grade than their non-sipping, tea-totaling peers.

“We need to be very careful not to assume that early alcohol consumption somehow protects children or teaches them how to drink safely,” researcher Kristina Jackson said. (LiveScience)