OUR SECRET DRUG SHAME

PARENTS are the weak link in the fight against teenage drug abuse, a
confidential Federal Government report has revealed.

Almost half of Australian parents have used marijuana and the study
shows that many think their children should do the same.

Tobacco is viewed by many parents as a bigger evil than
marijuana.

Most alarming was that while many parents were relaxed about their
children trying marijuana, they were dangerously out of touch about
deadly drugs.

They wrongly believed teenagers would not be exposed to drugs such as
heroin, LSD, speed and cocaine.

The Department of Health set up the study to uncover parents'
attitudes for an education campaign.

Its results shocked health authorities.

The Herald Sun obtained a list of its 21 key findings, which could
result in parental education becoming a priority in the government's
$510million drug war.

Almost all parents confessed they failed in their duty to talk about
the dangers of drugs with their children.

Parents were hopelessly ignorant about drugs, were afraid to raise the
topic with children, and talked about drugs only when they suspected
their child was abusing them.

The main reasons for the failure of parents to discuss the dangers of
drugs were:

FEAR their children knew more about drugs.

FEAR that asking questions would lead to a breakdown in
trust.

FEAR there was inadequate support for parents with drug-addicted
children.

The study, based on phone interviews with 1000 parents with children
aged 12 to 17, found the use of marijuana was the key factor in
forming the attitude of parents.

"For some parents experimentation with marijuana was seen as
acceptable or even inevitable (not unlike getting drunk)," the report
said.

"Among the 42per cent of parents who indicated that they had tried
marijuana, 32per cent agreed (with the) view that experimentation with
marijuana was acceptable."

The survey found 17 per cent of parents said it was acceptable for
their child to try marijuana.

Most parents who condoned marijuana use refused to acknowledge a link
to other forms of drug abuse.

"Parents generally thought it unlikely their teenage children would be
offered amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, cocaine or heroin," the report
said.

Asked their attitude to different drugs, 95per cent of parents rated
heroin very dangerous.

Just 41per cent said marijuana was very dangerous and 45per cent rated
tobacco very dangerous.

The latest drug survey of young Australians found 36per cent of
children aged 12 to 17 years had tried marijuana.

More than 8per cent of teenagers had tried LSD, 6.1per cent had tried
speed, and 3.7per cent had tried opiates, which includes heroin.

Just one-third of parents believed they needed to improve their
knowledge of drugs.

They wanted more accurate and easily understood information about
drugs, and to learn how to recognise signs of drug use in their children.