Posted on 03/06/2005 6:49:34 PM PST by Crackingham
A new survey by the Partnership for a Drug Free America has found that 12 percent of today's parents have never talked to their kids about drugs and the risks they pose. That's twice as many as just six years ago. At the same time, parents are significantly underestimating their kids' use of and exposure to drugs in schools and communities.
This phenomenon is raising alarms in the drug-prevention community, primarily because statistics show that kids whose parents talk with them regularly about drugs are 50 percent less likely to use them. But it's also because this generation of children is facing a new drug-abuse landscape, where once-hip drugs like marijuana are being complemented by a variety of pharmaceuticals - from cough suppressants to painkillers - many of which can be easily found in their parents' medicine cabinets.
"Today's parents see less risk in drug use, and they admit there's significantly less communication going on with their own teens," says Tom Hedrick of the Partnership, a nonprofit antidrug group. "Along with the changing drug threats ... that parents are simply unaware of, we have a very dangerous situation developing."
That means that 88% of parents have talked to their children about drugs and the dangers they pose. Hardly something to be alarmed about. This article just means that the drugs they talk about are not necessarily the same ones that were a problem in previous generations.
Do they talk to them about tobacco and alcohol?
"That means that 88% of parents have talked to their children about drugs and the dangers they pose."
Yes, exactly. I'm surprised the number is so high, in fact.
Just a thought but would that 12% also be close to the number of parents who are regularly or occasionaly using one of those drugs?
Me too. I would guess that a large chunk of that is simply people who wouldn't admit to not doing so. I would love to see that matched up against the same question posed to their kids, to see if there's any real truth to it.
"But it's also because this generation of children is facing a new drug-abuse landscape, where once-hip drugs like marijuana are being complemented by a variety of pharmaceuticals - from cough suppressants to painkillers - many of which can be easily found in their parents' medicine cabinets."
Hey, that's nothing new. Sounds like the '70's to me.
Hey, my husband's mom talked to him about drugs...and shared them with him, too. She's a druggie loser and it took him until he was 25-26 to stop (well before we started dating) being one as well.
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