Drug Abuse and the Family

When growing up as a teenager, I would always get upset with my parents and how strict they were when it came to hanging out wit my friends. Whether it was having to talk to my friend's mother or father to make sure they were going to be home, or having to be home before midnight, I never understood why they didn't trust me. After reading the journal article by Joseph Califano Jr., called Parent Power, I realized why my parents were so worried and protective.

In the article, it talked about the growing number of teenagers who are abusing drugs and the importance the family has over the decisions the teenager will make when it comes to drug use. In Califano's exact words, "what motivates your kids is the perception of how Mom and Dad will react to their smoking, drinking or drug use." Califano throughout the article stresses the importance of a caring a nourishing household. If a teenager truly feels like he is loved and that his parents care about his/her decisions, then that will be a deciding factor when it comes to choosing whether or not to use drugs. Outside of the family, the "world of most teenagers is infested with drugs." Since 2002, in middle school alone, the proportion of students who say that drugs are used, sold or kept in schools is up 47 percent, and in high school, the number is up 41 percent. The numbers come out to be 2.4 middle-schoolers, more than a quarter, and 10.6 million high-schoolers, which is almost two-thirds, are attending schools where drugs are used or sold. What Califano found to be very sad, is that many parents accept the fact that there is epidemic of drug abuse in schools, whether it be selling or using. Fifty-six percent of parents asked about getting drugs out of schools thought it was an unrealistic goal. The CASA survey for 2004-2005 shows even more evidence of the increasingly drug ridden world of teens. The percentage of 12 to 17 year olds who knew a friend that abused prescription drugs jumped to 86 percent, ones that used Ecstasy is up 28 percent and other illegal drugs is up 20 percent. What Califano started to stress was that it wasn't the actual laws that affected teenagers decisions on using drugs, actually nearly half of teens said that illegality plays no role in their decision to smoke, drink or use drugs. "The point is not that criminal laws are irrelevant; they serve an important purpose to protect society and as a formal consensus of society's judgment about seriously harmful conduct. The point is that a child's sense of morality, which most 12- to 17-year-olds acquire from parents, and a clear appreciation of parental disapproval are far more powerful incentives to stay drug free." Califano believes that strong, positive family relationships are a powerful deterrent to teen smoking, drinking and drug use. Teens that can go to one or both of their parents with serious questions about drugs are at less of a risk than those whop have to go to another adult for advice. Also, those teens that have multiple family dinners a week are also at less of a chance of falling victim to drug abuse. The percentage of teens that have family dinner at least three times a week and use illegal drugs is only at 13 percent.

In the article, Califano stated some theories on teenagers and drug abuse. I would like to discuss and evaluate one of them. Califano stated that "Teens whose parents would be a little or not upset if they smoked or drank are much likelier to smoke or drink than those whose parents would be extremely upset." I think that his theory when hearing it is reasonable and logical, because you would think that if a child knew his parents would be extremely upset, it would make him/her not want to smoke or drink. But I don't think that Califano dug deep enough to find enough facts to prove it. Just by my own personal experience, I can say that overprotecting, and excessive actions to keep a teen from smoking and drinking will eventually