Most Parents Out of Touch with Teen Drug Use

CCSA poll confirms parents need reality check

OTTAWA, Nov. 15 /CNW/ - It's National Drug Awareness Week—but a new poll suggests Canadian parents are anything but aware of what is going on in their teens' lives with respect to drugs.

A Harris/Decima survey commissioned by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) found that:

• 70 per cent of Canadian parents surveyed don't think their kids (aged 12-17) have experimented with drugs; and
• 80 per cent of parents say they are confident they would recognize signs of drug use in someone close to them.

Yet the evidence shows nearly one third of 15-17 year olds and almost half of 18-19 year olds report using marijuana in the past year. Canadians smoke more cannabis than any other developed nation in the world; in some high-risk groups, kids as young as 11 are experimenting for the first time (Ontario Student Drug Use Health Survey, 2009).

"Today's poll shows a real gap between perceptions and reality," says Michel Perron, CCSA's CEO. "The fact is, far more kids are experimenting with drugs than most parents think. This is a wake-up call to all parents to take note and take action—and that means talking to your kids about drugs."

Prescription drug use a particular concern

The poll also found that:

• One in five Canadians said they had prescription painkillers in their medicine cabinet at home; and
• Most parents (92 per cent) did not believe their son or daughter has ever stolen a prescription drug from the family medicine cabinet.

However, 18 per cent of Ontario students in Grades 7-12 admitted taking prescription drugs for non-medicinal reasons; three quarters of those said they got the drugs from their own home (Ontario Student Drug Use Health Survey, 2009).

"When our kids are toddlers, we childproof our homes and lock up household cleaners to keep them out of reach. Now that our kids are teens, we should be no less diligent," says Perron.

Parents should get rid of any painkillers not being used by taking them directly to the pharmacist for safe disposal. And if prescriptions are being used, they should be kept in a secure spot and used only for the intended purpose.

"Kids don't think pharmaceutical drugs are dangerous since they are legal and prescribed by a doctor," says Perron. But research shows that admissions to substance use treatment programs for people in Ontario misusing opioids doubled from 2004-2009.

Levels of concern vary with severity of drug

Parents' level of concern about drugs and their kids varies depending on the type of drug:

• Fewer parents would be concerned to learn their kids are using pot (76 per cent);
• 91 per cent would be concerned to learn their kids experimented with cocaine or ecstasy; and
• 80 per cent would be concerned to learn their teen has tried a prescription painkiller like Tylenol 3, Percocet or Oxycontin.

"We as parents must be aware of the reality," says Perron, who himself is a parent of children aged 15 and 18. "All of these drugs can have harmful effects, especially in adolescents whose brains are still developing."

Youth want to learn from their parents

While 95 per cent of parents feel they have enough knowledge to talk to their teen about drugs, only 80 per cent say they would be able to recognize the signs of drug use or abuse in someone close to them.

"Many kids have mixed feelings or are reticent about talking with their parents about drugs, but given the right tools, parents can successfully initiate and engage in discussions," says Perron. "One particularly encouraging fact is teens between the ages of 13 and 15 definitely care what their parents think."

In its efforts to prevent youth substance abuse, CCSA has created a drug prevention website (Xperiment.ca) and an online healthy lifestyle channel for youth (URL-TV). These sites, along with a helpful pamphlet published by Health Canada called Talking with Your Teen about Drugs, may be a good way to get the conversation about drugs started.

The poll was commissioned by CCSA and conducted by Harris/Decima using their telephone omnibus from October 28-31, 2010. A total of 1,002 Canadians were surveyed, of which 131 are parents of children aged 12-17 living in the household. The margin of error for this subgroup is +/-8.6 per cent.

About CCSA:

With a legislated mandate to reduce alcohol- and other drug-related harms, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) provides leadership on national priorities, fosters knowledge translation within the field, and creates sustainable partnerships that maximize collective efforts. CCSA receives funding support from Health Canada.

CCSA is engaged in a youth drug prevention strategy that includes a drug prevention website (Xperiment.ca) and an online healthy lifestyle channel for youth (URL-TV). It is also developing a portfolio of national prevention standards for use in drug prevention programs in communities, schools and families, which will be released next week.

For further information:

Playbook Communications
Danna O'Brien, 416-690-5777 x 163
Donna Lindell, 416-690-5777 x 166