Problem parents contribute to teen drug use

A survey on substance abuse among teens was released this morning that really lowers the boom on parents. The annual survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University calls out parents for contributing to drug and alcohol use among kids ages 12 to 17. Some parents fail to monitor their children's activities, do not safeguard medications at home that can be used for abuse, and do not set good examples for their kids, the report said. Almost half of the teens surveyed -- a nationally representative sample of 1,002 teens and 312 of their parents -- said they leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights. Among those teens, half who come home after 10 p.m. said they had been drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana or doing other drugs. Just under 30% of those who come home between 8 and 10 p.m. said they had been drinking or using drugs. In contrast, only 14% of the parents said their teens leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights.

Who is telling the truth? The report suggests that parents are pretty clueless about their kids' schedules and how they spend their free time.

"Every mother and father should look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are doing the parenting essential to help their child negotiate the difficult teen years free of tobacco, alcohol and drugs," said Elizabeth Planet, CASA's director of special projects.

CASA president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph A. Califano said this:

"Preventing substance abuse among teens is primarily a mom and pop operation. It is inexcusable that so many parents fail to appropriately monitor their children, fail to keep dangerous prescription drugs out of the reach of their children and tolerate drug infected schools. The parents who smoke marijuana with children should be considered child abusers. By identifying the characteristics of problem parents we seek to identify the actions that parents can take -- and avoid -- in order to become part of the solution and raise healthy, drug-free children."

No one said parenting was easy, and parents in the survey said overwhelmingly that it's harder today to keep kids safe and raise them with good moral character than it was in previous generations. Resources to help and support parents are available, such as those that can be found on the CASA website. Also, try the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Youth Anti-Drug media campaign for more resources.

It would probably be helpful for all of us who are parents to get our heads out of the sand. Times change, and the culture kids are growing up in today is different from back in our day. For example, the survey also found these hair-raising trends:

• For the first time in the survey's 13-year history, more teens said prescription drugs were easier to buy than beer.
• 42% of the teens said they can buy marijuana in a day or less.
• One-quarter of teens said they know a parent of a classmate or friend who uses marijuana and 10% of those teens said this parent smokes marijuana with teens.
• Half of the teens ages 16 and 17 said that among their age group smoking marijuana is more common than smoking cigarettes.
• Of the teens who drink, almost 30% said their drink of choice was hard liquor mixed with soda or something sweet compared with 16% who said they prefer beer.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: Gary Freidman / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[D. Williams]

Well, big surprise, today's parents don't want to be parents. We needed some survey to tell us this? All you have to do is watch how easily they knuckle under to their children's demands to know that. You've never seen such a generation of spoiled kids. It's time parents realized that raising children IS NOT a popularity contest! Your child will be stronger if s/he learns the world will not always dance to their tune.

We taught children at a very early age that although we loved them, there were rules and a strange unknown thing called 'consequences' for their actions, and not everyone in the world would love them the way we did. And by the way, they both graduated from college, did not go on drinking binges, never smoked marijuana, did drugs, or got in any kind of trouble. They're happily married, and have a very clear idea of what the word 'NO" means! And they always knew we loved them, even when we said no.

[Joe W.]

"No one said parenting was easy, and parents in the survey said overwhelmingly that it's harder today to keep kids safe and raise them with good moral character than it was in previous generations"

Sure, it’s always safer to raise kids in a mental construct of nostalgia and how do they know what it was like to raise kids in previous generations?

[Debra Claxton]

Well said Joe W. !!

[Kathleen]

This news flash is so lame. I read two online news items and it just didn't smell right to me; too dramatic. So, I checked out Columbia University's website where the report originates, and downloaded the actual report (for free).

http://www.casacolumbia.org/ViewProduct.aspx?PRODUCTID=13458f03-af4c-4e80-902f-b2fbab5b308f

If you read the Methodology section, you'll see that various factors of the study are considerably flawed. For example, over 1000 students were interviewed for it, but only 312 parents. That's a very skewed sample in my opinion.

If you read some of the teen survey's questions and the answers received, you'll see that, in most cases, teens reported very low alcohol, smoking, and other drug experience, and even barely knowing anyone who did abuse prescription drugs. On the latter, the numbers were high for acquaintances getting them not from their own homes, but the homes of friends.

Enough with the parent bashing already, just for the sake of flashy headlines. This is so annoying.

[Anarcissie]

I don't doubt that the study was superficial -- it sounds like it was designed to assist careers by getting media attention -- but it is true that if parents use drugs, their teenage children will use the same drugs and generally try to go the parents one better. "Drugs" includes alcohol and tobacco. If you don't want your teen-age children to use drugs, don't use them yourself.

[barry]

My parents gave me boundaries, but not too many, which is key because you don't want kids to rebel against you. Also I started drinking and smoking marijuana when I was sixteen and I still do. I am now 22, and I just received my bachelors degree in aerospace engineering with a 3.4 GPA. The key to using substances that alter your perception is using them in moderation. Parents need to rationally explain to there children the problems with substance abuse, but if they are truthful about the fact that light substance use is not harmful there children will be much more receptive to what they have to say. Also my parents don't know I do drugs, they think because I am nice and do well in school and hang out with my grandparents that I must be a stand up citizen, but what most people don't realize is that smoking marijuana does not hinder these things.

[Gistole]

Quoting from "No one said parenting was easy, and parents in the survey said overwhelmingly that it's harder today to keep kids safe and raise them with good moral character than it was in previous generations"

We lived in a generation where our kids are subjected to violence, sex, alcohol through the proliferation of the internet and TV media whereas in our previous generation, a television is considered a luxury.

We lived in a generation where the standard of living has risen to the point that both parents have to work to sustain a family, a home mortgage. Lack of love, care, parental presence for the children has created guilty feelings in parents, which in turn overcome this guilt by pleasing the children, letting them to indulge and adhering to their wants not their needs.

We lived in a generation where spanking of our children will render the parents to be in trouble with the law. Children actually threaten their parents with words from their teacher, "if your parents spank you, you can report to the police or CPS" to get away from spanking. Parents are expected to bring up their child with their hands tied but are responsible for their children unruly behaviour. Whereas in our generation spanking is inevitable and we would be grateful that our parents have spanked us to correct us.

We lived in a generation where ....... the list goes on...

[Ogre]

I went through the pain of a teenager becoming obsessed with drugs. I was not clueless about my 15 year old stepdaughter's activities. I knew she was spending every waking moment trying to obtain drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, my (now ex) wife was at first in denial, even when overwhelming evidence was staring her in the face. When my ex finally had to accept that her daughter had a problem, she then decided it was my fault because I was too strict, ignoring the fact that before the drugs and alcohol, I was very trusting and lenient. My step-daughter had been an honor student and it was my belief that the amount of freedom she enjoyed was directly tied to her performance in school. As an honor student, she had very few rules and I trusted her to do the right things. The change in her freedom was the direct result of her dropping out of school and devoting her life to drugs. But my wife believed the strict rules that came AFTER the problem started were the cause of the problem. Thus, my wife let her 15 year old run wild, no rules and no consequences. I simply could not accept this. I believe I had a moral responsibility to make every attempt to prevent my step-daughter from killing herself with her excesses. The divorce was the direct result of this conflict in parenting. I gave up my marriage to save my step-daughter's life. I would do it all over again.

[Elektroman]

To the 22 something year old with a degree in aerospace: "Check yourself before you wreck yourself!" Pot use may not have disabled your academic career or your mental skills. I got high once and solved a Rubix Cube in 13 seconds. No Joke. However: the Aerospace Industry is pretty good at drug screening. And if you want a security clearance at some point, quit now before you incriminate yourself.

[Beverly]

We routinely put children on speed (Ritalin and Adderal) or other mind altering drugs like Prozac, Paxil, or Seroquel. Today's culture is one that view psychoactive drugs as an answer to just about every problem. How can we possibly be surprised that the message "you don't need drugs to feel good" doesn't seem resonate with teenagers today when doesn't resonate with a great many parents and school counselors? We need to take a look at our own hypocrisy and the open drug culture we live in.

[Rob]

"Parents" treat their children like pets. They shelter them, feed them, take them to the doctor when necessary, but other than teaching them a few tricks that they can show their neighbors, they ignore them. No wonder kids want to so desperately to get out of the yard...eh, I mean house.

Children are the most valuable things we have. Probably don't have to say that to anyone reading this article. It's the folks that don't even look for articles like this that I am talking about.

[ps343]

Oh, the irony! When I finished scrolling down and reading all the comments, just to the right of the place for me to make a comment was a Miller Genuine Draft advertisement. Oh, it did say, (in the smallest print on the ad) "Live Responsibly"

I believe the point of the ad was that you could have a whole beer for 64 calories or a "Micro-tini" (illustrated as smaller than the olive in the glass) for 64 calories. Because that's the point!!!!

[johnsena1000]

Teens need to be helped by parents by each and every issue related to them. Parents should help their teens with a structured support which may not harm them. Parents should plan like that which make teens to get out of troubles in pleasant way. But contributing to teen drug use is not that much appreciated by any of parent.

http://www.troubledteensguide.com/

[benjamin]

It's the foremost responsibility of parents to periodically look for the irregular behaviors or attitudes in a teen that might be due to the problem of drug or alcohol abuse and get help as soon as possible before problem becomes worse. A few suggestions for families with teens, it might be helpful.. http://www.helpfortroubledteens.net/suggestions.html

[Sierra H]

Well im a teen im 18 and i use marijuna and some times it makes me feel good because i cant deal with much stress that goes on in the nieghborhood i live in and my personal house hold. I can say i smoke weed all day and everyday i cant be too high i dont smoke cigarettes or anything else but weed. i love the high you get from it. I can say it makes me feel like im in my own world with no problems...

[Kiara]

This is really a major issue of concern! the survey point out the real world's situation and I should say it's really tough to accept the truth! I think parents should play the major role to help out their teens to overcome their problems.