DRUG ABUSE: Survey Finds Parents a Source of Dependency
A survey of almost 600 teenagers in drug treatment centers found 20% had shared drugs other than alcohol with their parents, USA Today reports. Conducted at treatment centers in New York, Florida, Texas and California, the study also found that parents introduced drug use to about 5% of the teenagers. While the survey found friends are the "most likely sources," some baby boomers "are enablers for their children who experiment with drugs." Some parents said that "sharing an occasional joint with their teenager can ease family tensions." But Mitchell Rosenthal, president of the Phoenix House, the treatment center in New York that conducted the survey, said many parents may be "regular users." He added, "Parents who do not set limits and who try to be buddies with their kids are doing their kids a real disservice. Kids have to be helped to control their impulses." The U.S. Department of Education recommends that parents "establish family rules," noting that "[i]t is extremely important to establish a clear 'no drugs' mandate" (Leinwand, 8/24).
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