National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIV: Teens and Parents

“This 14th annual “back-to-school survey” continues the unique effort of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University to track attitudes of teens and those, like parents, who influence them. Over a decade and a half, through this survey we have identified factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of teen substance abuse. Armed with this knowledge, parents, teachers, clergy, coaches and other responsible adults have been better able to help our nation’s teens grow up drug free.

Over the past 15 years we have surveyed thousands of American teens and their parents. We have learned how their attitudes and their parents’ expectations impact teens’ behavior. And through surrogate questions for drug use–such as, “If you wanted to buy marijuana right now, how long would it take you to get it?”–we have gained insight into America’s teen culture. Perhaps our most important finding from so many years of surveying teens and our other research is this: A child who gets through age 21 without smoking, using drugs or abusing alcohol is virtually certain never to do so. And, for better or worse, no one has greater power to influence a teen’s decision whether to drink or use drugs than his parents.
This year we surveyed 1,000 teens, age 12 to 17 (509 boys, 491 girls), and 452 of the parents of these teens. Elizabeth Planet, CASA’s Vice President and Director of Special Projects, managed this complex undertaking.”

Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Founder and Chairman

To view this year’s CASA 2009 Teen and Parent Survey, please click on the link below:

CASA 2009 Teen and Parent Survey