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Parents Count!

October 4, 2001 – The new 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, out today, makes clear how important parents are in preventing teens from using illicit drugs.

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Of those 12- to 17-year-olds whose parents would strongly disapprove if their children used marijuana once or twice, only 7 percent have used an illicit drug in the past month. In contrast, of adolescents whose parents who would not strongly disapprove if they used marijuana once or twice, 31 percent had used an illicit drug in the past month.

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Furthermore, parents who prevent their teenagers from drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes during adolescence gain even more protection for their children. Some 66 percent of adolescents who are heavy drinkers used illicit drugs in the past month, compared to 4 percent of nondrinkers.

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A similar protective effect occurs among teenagers who don't smoke cigarettes. Some 42 percent of smokers had used an illicit drug in the past month, compared to 5 percent of nonsmokers.

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