Pubdate: Wed, 20 Aug 2003
Source: Herald, The (WA)
Copyright: 2003 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Associated Press

POLL SPOTS DRUG RISK FACTORS FOR TEENS

WASHINGTON -- A survey of American children and parents released Tuesday
found a mix of three ingredients in abundance for many kids can lead to
substance abuse: boredom, stress and extra money.

The annual study by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse also found that students at schools with more than 1,200
students are twice as likely as those attending schools with fewer than 800
students to be at high risk for substance abuse.

Joseph Califano Jr., the center's chairman and president, said 13.8 million
teens -- about 55 percent of all kids -- are at moderate or high risk of
substance abuse.

"Parental engagement in their child's life is the best protection Mom and
Dad can provide," he said.

The study found that children ages 12 to 17 who are frequently bored are 50
percent more likely to smoke, drink, get drunk or use illegal drugs. And
kids with $25 or more a week in spending money are nearly twice as likely to
smoke, drink or use drugs as children with less money.

Anxiety is another risk factor. The study found that youngsters who said
they are highly stressed are twice as likely as low-stress kids to smoke,
drink or use drugs.

High stress was experienced more among girls more than boys, with nearly one
in three girls saying they were highly stressed compared with fewer than one
in four boys. One possible factor is social pressure for girls to have sex,
researchers said.

The study also found that the average age of first use of alcohol is about
12, while cigarettes is 12 1/2and marijuana is almost 14. More than 5
million children ages 12 to 17, or 20 percent, can buy marijuana in an hour
or less, the study said, and another 5 million can buy it within a day.

Charles Curie, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, said the best thing parents can do to steer their
kids away from drugs and alcohol is to talk to them and stay involved in
their lives. It's also important, he said, to know their children's friends.

There was some encouraging news. The study found that 56 percent of those
surveyed have no friends who regularly drink, up from 52 percent in 2002.
Nearly 70 percent have no friends who use marijuana.

The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Drugs and teens

Findings on substance abuse and young Americans:

Those attending schools with more than 1,200 students are twice as likely as
those at schools with less than 800 students to be at high risk of substance
abuse, according to the study.

The proportion of students who say that drugs are used, kept or sold at
their high schools is up 18 percent over 2002, from 44 to 52 percent.

Catholic and other religious middle and high schools are likelier to be
drug-free than are public schools.

More than half of parents whose children attend schools where drugs are
used, kept or sold would not send their child to a drug-free school if they
could. Asked why, the parents answered that no schools are drug-free, kids
should make their own choices, drugs are not a problem and the child likes
his or her school.

SOURCE: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
- ---
MAP posted-by: Josh