Subscribe now

YOU may be able to hide it from your boss, but your kids can tell you’ve got
a drink problem—and it stinks. The children of alcoholics tend to hate the
smell of alcohol, the meeting in Sarasota, Florida, heard.

Julie Mennella and Pamela Garcia of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in
Philadelphia knew that babies whose parents are alcoholics react differently to
toys scented with ethanol from babies whose parents don’t abuse alcohol. To find
out how older children felt about the odour of alcohol, they asked 150 children
aged between 4 and 6 to sample some odours.

Bottles…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop