One in five parents of children ages 10 to 19 years old told researchers from the Partnership for A Drug-Free America that their child engaged in alcohol or drug abuse beyond the experimental level. Nearly one in three parents of teenagers 14 to 19 years old reported the same thing.

Perhaps equally disturbing is that 47 percent of these parents waited to take action or took no action at all, which put their children at risk for continued use and negative consequences, according to the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study sponsored by the Metlife Foundation.

• Researchers found an 11 percent increase in the use of alcohol, a 67 percent increase in the use of Ecstasy, and a 19 percent increase in the use of marijuana between 2008 and 2009 among teenagers in grades nine through 12.
• This is the first time in several decades that drug and alcohol use increased rather than declined among teenagers.

"These new PATS data should put parents on notice that they have to pay close attention to their kids' behavior -- especially their social interactions -- and they must take action just as soon as they think their child may be using drugs or drinking," said Steve Pasierb, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Labels: teen_drug_use, parental_involvement

Posted By: Aspen/CRC