Parenting Perspective 

Peer pressure to ‘just try one’ drink can catch even confident children off guard, especially when it looks harmless, disguised in an energy drink can or juice bottle. Your goal is to prepare your child not only to say no but also to understand why they are saying it. When clarity replaces confusion, resistance feels much easier. 

Explain What Is Really in the Mix 

Talk plainly with your child and explain that mixing energy drinks with alcohol does not ‘cancel out’ the effect; it hides it. The caffeine masks the feeling of intoxication, so people feel alert while their judgment is dangerously impaired. This mixture has led to accidents, blackouts, and hospitalisations worldwide. This is not a ‘grown-up drink’; it is a chemical trick that makes danger invisible. 

Provide Simple Refusal Scripts 

Coach your child to decline with calm confidence, not defensiveness. You can practise these lines together: 

• ‘No thank you, I do not drink. I am fine with a soda.’ 

• ‘Mixing those things can be very bad for your heart and mind.’ 

• ‘I prefer to know exactly what I am drinking.’ 

• ‘I am not willing to risk that just to fit in.’ 

Practise saying these phrases with a relaxed tone, followed by a quick topic shift. A refusal sounds strongest when it is short, steady, and followed by moving on with the conversation. 

Build a Value-Based Identity 

Frame the refusal as part of who they are: someone who protects their mind, makes strong choices, and does not gamble with their health for social approval. Remind them that they represent your family, their faith, and their future. Encourage them to feel proud of being the one others can trust to stay clear-headed when things go wrong. 

Create Safe Exit Options 

Agree on a code text for a quick pickup if they ever feel trapped or uncomfortable in a situation. Ensure their phone is always charged and that they know it is always okay to call you, even from a party. Promise them calm help and support, not anger. A child who trusts your response will act much faster in unsafe settings. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam firmly forbids intoxicants, not out of a desire for restriction, but out of mercy. Any substance that clouds judgment or endangers life moves a believer away from clarity, self-respect, and spiritual awareness. Choosing sobriety in moments of pressure is an act of obedience to Allah Almighty and a form of self-protection from future regret. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Maaidah (5), Verse 90: 

‘O you who are believers, indeed, all forms of intoxication, all forms of gambling, (pagan) sacrifices at altars (to pagan idols and deities), and all forms of fortune-telling – ‘divining arrows’, are all atrocious practices (inspired by) Satan; so avoid them (at all cost), so that you may be successful (in your worldly life).’ 

This verse leaves no grey area. Whether it is mixed, disguised, or offered ‘just once’, alcohol remains forbidden. Teach your child that the commands of Allah Almighty are shields, not limits, designed to protect both the body and soul from hidden harm. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2003, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Every intoxicant is Khamr, and every Khamr is forbidden.’ 

This Hadith clarifies that even small amounts or diluted mixtures of intoxicants fall under the same ruling. The wisdom of Islam lies in prevention; what begins as simple curiosity can quickly grow into dependency or deep regret. Tell your child that real confidence is found in staying clear when others lose their clarity.