PARENTS CAN BE PART OF BOTH PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

SUPPORTIVE relationships are one key to halting adolescent substance misuse
problems, according to a paper given to the first International Conference
on Drugs and Young People.

Authors John Bamberg and Anne Blyth of Odyssey House and John Toumbourou
from the Centre for Adolescent Health run training groups for parents who
are dealing with substance misuse in their 14-to-22-year-old children.

To reduce harm from drug use it was important to promote communication
between the parents and the young adults, Mr Toumbourou said.

He said that negotiation had to be creative.

"Many parents have been able to mobilise family resources in the interests
of their adolescent children."

He said families played a critical role in both causing and resolving youth
drug problems.

Factors known to raise the risk of youth drug abuse included genetic
predisposition, family conflict and abuse, poor monitoring and supervision,
and parental or other family substance abuse, he said.

But families also played an important role in promoting resilience.

They protected young people who might be at risk through predisposition,
availability of drugs in the community, lack of attachment to school, or
association with drug-using peers.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson