A large study of teenagers found that their four social systems - family, school, neighborhood and peers - influence whether they abuse alcohol.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina and the University of California surveyed 6,544 students every six months from grades 6 to 8 through grades 8 to 10. They found that the four systems interact to influence a young person's choices about using alcohol. For example, if parents carefully supervised their pre-teen, the child was less likely to follow the examples of peers who drank. However, if parents abused alcohol or if there were conflicts in the family, the child was more likely to drink with peers.

The more often that teens observed someone in their networks drinking, the more likely they were to follow suit.

This study appeared in the journal Child Development.

Labels: peer-pressure, social_system, underage_drinking

The vast majority of teenagers who use drugs do it to relieve school stress, not to have fun, according to a new survey from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. That will surprise most parents. Only 7 percent of parents marked "school pressures" as a reason for teens to use drugs compared to 73 percent of teens in the survey.

The Partnership, a non-profit cooperation between parents, educators, and media professionals, surveyed 6,511 teens and parents.

"A wide disconnect exists between what teens are thinking and feeling and what parents believe about their teens when it comes to attitudes about drug use," according to Steve Pasierb, CEO of the Partnership.

The other reasons teens give for using drugs are "to feel cool" (65%) or to "feel better about myself" (65%). One in five teenager has abused prescription drugs, and over 40 percent believe they are safer to use than illegal ones. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are painkillers like OxyContin.

Labels: drug_use, peer-pressure, stress