Mom Is Best Defense Against Drugs [baby]
Mom Is Best Defense Against Drugs
May 10, 2002 -- Caring moms are the single best defense against teen drug use.
A survey of nearly 4,000 European teens "underscore[s] the role of families, but especially that of mothers, in regulating the substance-related behaviour of young people," writes study author Paul McArdle, PhD, a child health researcher at Newcastle University in England.
"Of course, some marriages come to an end -- but both parents could still take an interest in the kids, or perhaps be persuaded to do so," he says in a news release. "I believe that effective prevention of drug use is more about family relationships than any other factor."
His report appears this month in the journal Addiction.
In their study, McArdle and colleagues surveyed 3,984 young teens -- 14 and 15-year-olds -- selected at random in England, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Each teen completed a questionnaire asking about illicit drug and alcohol use, living arrangements, who they confided in, what they did after school, whether parents care how much TV they watch, how available drugs were in their city, and delinquency.
Kids were also asked whether they took drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, or tranquilizers, or if they were regular alcohol drinkers.
Quality of family life was especially important in keeping kids away from drugs -- particularly when the teen had a close attachment to his or her mother. That was especially true in cities where drugs were readily available through friends.
The statistics: When the family was intact, with a strong teen-mother bond, drug use was 17%. That figure rose to about 32% if just one factor was present. But drug use leaped to 42% if the teen had neither a good family life nor a good bond with mom.
Parental supervision was also cited as important in keeping teens drug-free, especially boys: 13% of boys used drugs when supervision was lax, compared with 5% of boys whose parents were more vigilant. Among girls, 7% did drugs under low supervision, compared with 5% of girls whose parents were more watchful.
Living with both parents helps protect kids, but only in smaller cities where drugs aren't as readily available. In Rome, 20% of kids used drugs despite having parents at home. In Dublin, nearly 30% of kids with intact families were users. However, in smaller cities, drug use declined when mom and dad were living in the same house.
"These findings suggest that living with both parents may inhibit drug use, but only if availability through peer networks is not very high," he says.
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