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Parents Keep Teens Away From Drugs
Parents are a powerful influence in keeping their teens off
of drugs and other risky behaviors, such as underage
drinking, cigarette use, and sexual activity. and according
to new data, the majority of teens say the greatest risk in
using marijuana is upsetting their parents (69%), followed
by losing the respect of friends and family (67%). To better
help parents prevent all types of risk-taking among teens,
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP),
and health and prevention leaders have partnered to raise
awareness about the consequences of risky behaviors among
teens, including drug use, drinking, smoking and sexual
activity.
Compared to a generation ago, most of today's teens are
thriving. Drug alcohol, tobacco, and teen pregnancy rates
are all down. But recent surveys show that among the
Nation's 12-17-year-olds, each day 3,430 try marijuana for
the first time; 7,500 try alcohol; 3,900 try cigarettes; and
one in five teenage girls has at least one birth by age 20.
In a typical high school class in America today, the number
of students engaging in risky behaviors is staggering: seven
our of 30 kids are using drugs; 13 drink alcohol; six smoke
cigarettes; and 10 are sexually active. Indeed, new data
also shows that more than four in 10 adolescents have been
offered drugs, and about one in four have been offered drugs
at school.
Research shows that teens who have a positive relationship
with their parents are less likely to engage in risky
behaviors:
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Positive relationships or connectedness
between parents and adolescents is linked to avoidance
or lower use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs;
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Adolescents who have high-quality
relationships with their parents are less likely to
initiate sex or be sexually active;
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Teens whose parents use a "balanced"
parenting style - are warm, and involved, firm in
setting limits, and show respect for their teen - do
better in school, report less depression, and anxiety,
have higher self-esteem and self reliance, and are less
likely to engage in all types of risky or problem
behavior, including drug and alcohol use, sex, or
violence.
"We're here to tell parents they are not
alone. Research tells us there are some straightforward
steps parents can take not only to help prevent drug use,
but to reduce risk-taking across-the-board," says John
Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "We think
parents and caregivers will find the information on how to
monitor their kids practical and useful in their everyday
lives."
ONDCP recently unveiled new resources for parents, including
a parent handbook and an interactive CD-ROM, new parent
television ads created by Grey Worldwide New York, and
announced a nationwide "Risky Behaviors Educational Tour" to
support parents of teens in 10 cities through local media
outreach and roundtables across the country.
The two new resources for parents, produced by ONDCP's
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, include,
"Navigating the Teen Years: A Parent's Handbook for Raising
Healthy Teens," and "The Teen Years: A Road Map for Parents"
CD-ROM. These resources offer parents research-based
information and skills shown to help prevent teen
risk-taking, and provide hands-on tolls to help them address
the challenges of raising teens. In its endorsement of the
handbook, the American Academy of Pediatrics said, "From
setting expectations and rules, to monitoring your teen, to
being a good role model, the advice is simple and easy to do
with suggestions for actions to take daily, weekly, or
monthly." The handbook and the CD-ROM are available free of
charge to the public and can be ordered through
www.TheAntiDrug.com
, the Media Campaign's Web site for parents.
Since its inception in 1998, the National Youth Anti-Drug
Media Campaign has conducted outreach to millions of
parents, teens, and communities to reduce and prevent teen
drug use. Counting on an unprecedented blend of public and
private partnerships, nonprofit community service
organizations, volunteerism, and youth-to-youth
communications, the Campaign is designed to reach Americans
of diverse backgrounds with effective anti-drug messages.
For more information on the ONDCP National Anti-Drug Media
Campaign, visit
www.MediaCampaign.org
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