Study Examines Changing Trends in Parental Influence of Teen Substance Use

The parental influence on a teen’s likelihood of engaging in risky behavior such as alcohol and drug use is significant. In a recent study, “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction,” produced by a Minnesota-based treatment center, nearly half of the parents interviewed admit to using alcohol or drugs as a teenager to get drunk or high.

Of the teens interviewed for this study, 25 percent have witnessed their parents getting high or drunk. More than 90 percent of parents and teens believe that parents should be role models for their teens. One interesting finding was that 63 percent of teens say that hearing their parents’ own stories about past use would make them more responsible about their own.

This survey project was designed to spur conversations about the dangers of addiction and the value of treatment among those in the Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers and The Greatest Generation. The approach was an honest dialogue on addiction issues between teens, young adults, parents and grandparents.

Key findings from this study include:

• 50 percent of teens report they would be less likely to use drugs if their parents told them about their own past use
• 67 percent of teens say their parents have already told them about their past experiences with alcohol and drugs
• 95 percent of those teens told reported this as a good thing
• Of the 33 percent of teens who report their parents have not talked about past experiences, 68 percent say they would want their parents to share
• 74 percent of teens say they view their parents as the No. 1 source of advice about drugs and alcohol
• 74 percent of those parents who have not shared past experience with their teens do so because they prefer their children to do as they say, not as they did
• Those teens who are aware of their parents’ experiences with alcohol or other drugs are nearly as likely as those who are not to consider their parents to be role models (90 percent versus 93 percent).

The results of this study suggest there has been a major shift in the course of one generation. Parents of teens today are much more open with their children about their early use of drugs than were their own parents when they were young. In fact, 63 percent of parents said their parents told them nothing about their own drug use.

While additional research into this topic is necessary, this study suggests that an open dialogue between parents and teens can help to create trust and lead to prevention. It is suggested that parents re-think what it means to be a role model and demonstrate the type of behavior they would want to see in their own children.