PARENTS KEY IN DRUG WAR, STUDY SAYS

The Associated Press

PRINCETON -- When it comes to kids and drug abuse, the message to parents
is "Just say something."

"Certainly it helps to talk, because the lines of communication are open,
even if you're talking to your children about anything, you're talking,"
Kaaron Ross of West Windsor said.

Like other parents -- and teens themselves -- interviewed here Tuesday,
Ross agreed with a study that showed children who spend more time with
their parents are not usually the kids who get involved with drug abuse.

Kids who talk to their parents are far less likely to abuse drugs and
alcohol than children who have little or no contact, a study released
Tuesday suggests.

"This is talking every day about what your kids do with their day. This is
not talking once a week," said Fred Nicholson, a study organizer.

Nine percent of New Jersey's seventh- and eighth-graders have used
marijuana in the past 12 months, a drop of 31 percent since 1995, according
to the survey of 3,000 students by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.

The national average, according to a similar study, is 20 percent.

But organizers touted what they say are the study's big findings: the more
parents talk, the less their kids use drugs or alcohol.

"I know a lot of my friends don't get along with their parents, and they're
the ones that used drugs. So I think it's a great idea to talk to your
parents," said Lars Peterson, a 16-year-old from Lawrence Township.

Parents should not be afraid to begin talking early, especially before a
child nears the end of middle school, said Rachel Rednor, a 17-year-old
from Pennington.

"By the time they get to high school, it's around more and it's available
more," Rednor said of illicit drugs.

Only 6 percent of students who talked to their parents almost every day
reported using marijuana.

For those who talked once a week or less, that figure tripled to 18 percent.

Kids who have a meal with parents five to seven days a week also were less
likely to use drugs or alcohol. Seven percent said they tried marijuana in
the past 12 months.

For those eating fewer than four meals a week, the number rose to 13 percent.

Students who reported doing two or more activities with parents --
shopping, going to movies, religious services, or watching TV -- also
reported lower rates of drug use.

With two or more activities a week, 6 percent reported using marijuana.
With no such involvement, 19 percent of the students said they had used
marijuana.

Students also want more from their parents, the survey suggested.

More than half -- 53 percent -- said parents waited too long to talk to
them about drugs and alcohol. The middle-school students surveyed said
third-or fourth-grade is the best time for parents to approach kids.

Other results stressed the importance of parents in the fight against drug
abuse, said Joseph P. Miele, chairman of the Governor's Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

"Children feel the most important decision-maker in the household is the
parent," Miele said.

Nearly half -- 49 percent -- said a parent's attitude about alcohol or
drugs is very important. Another 22 percent said that attitude influences
them slightly. Only 13 percent said a parent's attitude had no affect.

"It is very important for parents to understand how important their own
attitudes are," Nicholson said.

The responses about parents who plan activities underscores that, Nicholson
said.

"Doing these things often with their kids has a real impact," he said.

Also having an impact are the partnership's public service ads, Miele said.

Billboards, radio messages, television commercials, and newspaper ads are
being recognized by the students, he said.

Drug commercials were seen at least once a week by 70 percent of the
students surveyed. Alcohol warnings were seen by 53 percent.

Students said those ads were effective, with 46 percent saying the warnings
made them more aware of the dangers of abuse and less likely to use drugs.

In 1995, the first year of the survey, 39 percent had seen the ads, and 40
percent said they were effective.

Students in 40 schools across the state participated by filling out a
19-page questionnaire. Classes were chosen at random in participating
schools. The responses were confidential.