OF3-02/26/09 8:25 AM
MORE TEENS HEED PARENTS' ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE.
The Osgood File. I'm Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network.
With the economy being what it is, to put it mildly, there hasn't been a whole lot of good news lately.
But there is some today on a different front, in a new study about American teenagers, commissioned by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America.
SOT - Steve Pasierb, president of The Partnership For a Drug-Free America
"The good news is that all forms of substance abuse, with the exception of prescription drug abuse, have been in a sustained decline. That's great and that's important --- and a large factor in that has been the role that parents have played in educating their kids about the dangers."
Steve Pasierb is president of The Partnership.
We've come a long way since the drug scene was mostly about pot, heroin, and crack cocaine.
SOT - Steve Pasierb
"Over the last decade, teenage substance abuse has been in a steady decline. Every form: smoking, tobacco use, and all illegal drugs. The only exception being the abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, which has not moved at all."
You knew there had to be some bad news, didn't you? There always is...
SOT - Steve Pasierb
"The bad news is this new behavior of prescription drug abuse, which has been identified in the data for five years, has not gotten any better."
In some cases, the kids find those drugs in their parents' medicine cabinet. But, giving credit where credit is due...
SOT - Steve Pasierb
"This study shows that kids who learn a lot about the drug issue at home has gone up significantly. And that's important, because we know these same kids are half as likely to use as kids who don't learn a lot at home."
I suppose I don't have to tell you how Mom and Dad got to be such big experts on the subject.
SOT - Steve Pasierb
"This is the most drug-experienced generation of parents in history. They went to high school in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s. So, they know marijuana and cocaine and heroin and things like that, and they're comfortable talking about those. But the new trends, like methamphetamines and prescription drugs, it's clear parents are not talking specifically about these."
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is giving parents a good talking-to about that. Thank you, Steve Pasierb...
The Osgood File. I'm Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network.
The Osgood File. February 26th, 2009. |
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