DRUG USE LINKED TO 3 FACTORS

WASHINGTON -- A survey of American children and parents released yesterday
found a mix of three ingredients in abundance for many young people can lead to
substance abuse: boredom, stress, and extra money.

The annual study by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse also found students attending smaller schools or religious
schools are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Joseph Califano Jr., the center's chairman and president, said 13.8 million
teens -- about 55 percent of all youngsters -- are at moderate or high risk of
substance abuse.

"Parental engagement in their child's life is the best protection mom and dad
can provide," he said.

The study found that children ages 12 to 17 who are frequently bored are 50
percent more likely to smoke, drink, get drunk, or use illegal drugs. And
children with $25 or more a week in spending money are nearly twice as likely
to smoke, drink or use drugs as those with less money.

Anxiety is another risk factor. The study found that youngsters who said they
are highly stressed are twice as likely as low-stress ones to smoke, drink, or
use drugs.

High stress was experienced more among girls than boys, with nearly one in
three girls saying they were highly stressed compared with fewer than one in
four boys. One possible factor is social pressure for girls to have sex,
researchers said.

Charles Curie, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, said his agency has found similar risk factors among American
youth. He said the best thing parents can do to steer their children away from
drugs and alcohol is to talk to them and stay involved in their lives. It's
also important, he said, to know their children's friends.

For the first time in the survey's eight-year history, young people said they
are as concerned about social and academic pressures as they are about drugs.
In the past, Califano said, drugs were by far the No. 1 pressure on children.

There was some encouraging news. The study found that 56 percent of those
surveyed have no friends who regularly drink, up from 52 percent in 2002.
Nearly 70 percent have no friends who use marijuana.

QEV Analytics surveyed 1,987 children ages 12 to 17 and 504 parents, 403 of
whom were parents of interviewed youngsters. They were interviewed from March
30 to June 14. The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points for
children and plus or minus 4 percentage points for parents.