Hearing About Parent Experiences with Drug, Alcohol Use Benefits Teens

Teens may benefit from hearing about their parents' own experiences with alcohol and drugs, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of the Hazelden Foundation, found that most teens go to their parents first for advice about alcohol and drug use. About two-thirds of teens (63 percent) said that hearing about their parents' experiences with drugs or alcohol made them more responsible about their own substance use. Hearing about how drugs or alcohol negatively impacted a parent's life helps to dispel the idea that drinking or using drugs "doesn't hurt anyone."

About 67 percent of teenagers who participated in the survey reported that their parents had told them about their past experiences with alcohol and drugs, and 95 percent of participants appreciated that openness. About one-third of teens reported that their parents had not shared any information about their own experiences with substance use, and a majority of those teens said that they would like to talk openly with their parents about it.

(Sources: abcnews.go.com, www.startribune.com)

Labels: alcohol, parental drinking, teen drug use

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 1:53 PM