If you have teenagers and you drink alcohol, it is likely that your children have seen you indulge in a few drinks on special occasions. They may have even been embarrassed by you if they thought you were drunk.
But a new study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University shows that when it comes to drinking in front of your kids, embarrassment should be the least of your worries:
Teens who have seen their parents drunk are more than twice as likely to get drunk in a typical month.
Those teens are also three times likelier to use marijuana and smoke cigarettes.
CASA’s 14th annual back-to-school survey on substance abuse and teens found that a majority (51 percent) of 17-year-olds have seen one or both of their parents drunk.
More than 30 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have seen one or both of their parents drunk.
“Some moms’ and dads’ behavior and attitudes make them parent enablers — parents who send their 12- to 17-year-olds a message that it’s okay to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs like marijuana,” CASA Chairman Joseph A. Califano, Jr. said in a news release.
A Paternal Influence
Teen drinking habits are strongly associated with how teens believe their fathers feel about their drinking, according to the CASA study. Teenagers who believe their father is okay with their drinking are two and a half times more likely to get drunk as are teens who believe their father is against their drinking.
Among 16- and 17-year-olds, 13 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys believe their fathers are okay with their drinking. Those percentages were more than halved among 12- to 15-year-olds, with 5 percent of girls and 9 percent of boys believing their drinking behaviors are acceptable by their fathers.
“Teens’ behavior is strongly associated with their parents’ behavior and expectations, so parents who expect their children to drink and use drugs will have children who drink and use drugs,” Califano said.
Getting Drunk the Norm
Even if you tell your teens it is okay for them to have a beer or two, you may not realize how much they are actually drinking. Sixty-five percent of 12- to 17-year-olds report that they get drunk at least once a month, according to the CASA study, and 85 percent of 17-year-olds say they get drunk at least once in a typical month.
The majority of teens (85 percent) report that they drink to get drunk at least once a month. Even among teens who do not plan to get drunk when they drink, 33 percent still find themselves drunk at least once a month.
What This Means for Your Teen
The CASA survey revealed the following facts about teens who get drunk on a monthly basis:
Eighteen times more likely to have tried marijuana
Four times more likely to be able to get marijuana in an hour
Almost four times more likely to know someone their age who abuses prescription drugs
More than three times more likely to have friends who use marijuana
More than twice as likely to know someone their age who uses meth, ecstasy or other drugs such as cocaine, heroin or LSD
Twice as likely to know a girl who was forced to do something sexual she didn’t want to do
Nearly four times more likely to know a guy who uses drugs or alcohol to hook up
“The message for parents is loud and clear. If your teen is drinking, the odds are your teen is getting drunk. And teens who get drunk are much likelier to try marijuana and hang out with friends who are abusing prescription drugs and illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin,” said Elizabeth Planet, CASA’s vice president and director of special projects. “Parents who think their kids are just having an occasional drink each month need to wake up and smell the beer and pot.”
Prescription Drugs, Marijuana More Available
Teens who were surveyed by CASA researchers also reported that both prescription drugs and marijuana have become more easily accessible to them.
More than one-third of teens say they can get prescription drugs to get high within a day, and nearly one in five reports being able to get them within an hour. Teens are most often getting prescription drugs from home, parents, other family members and friends. The majority of surveyed teens said prescription drugs are easier to buy than beer.
Similarly, most teens surveyed say marijuana is easier to buy than cigarettes, beer or prescription drugs. Forty percent of teens say they can get marijuana within a day, and nearly one-quarter claim to be able to access the drug within an hour. Teens whose parents believe their child’s decision to use marijuana is not a big deal are nearly twice as likely to use the drug.
What Example Are You Setting?
If you are struggling with your own substance abuse issues, your alcohol or drug use may be having a greater effect on your teen than you think.
“Parents are the key to raising drug-free kids and they have the power to do it if they send their children the clear message to choose not to use,” Califano said.
Get help before your teen thinks your behaviors mean it’s okay for them to get drunk or use drugs. An outpatient treatment facility or residential treatment center for alcoholism or drug abuse can help you kick your own substance abuse habits while helping you learn the communication skills needed to effectively talk to your teens about drugs and alcohol.
The lessons you teach your teens will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Be sure that what they’ll most remember about you is not that you were the one who showed them how to get drunk and high.
