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