PARENTS SHOULD EVALUATE THEIR OWN DRUG USE AND HOW IT AFFECTS CHILDREN

The fact that teens are using substances is not news. In our community, for
instance, there has been much publicity about the use of Ecstasy.

(Ecstasy is a "club drug" - young persons often use it in connection with
partying. It is methylenedioxymethaphetamine, or MDMA, and creates a "rush"
in the user that may be experienced as pleasurable. Initially thought to be
harmless, it impacts mood regulation, affects memory on a permanent basis
and may destroy the body's ability to regulate its temperature, leading to
death.)

Many teens, particularly those who display significant problems in life,
also use substances in a problematic manner. What may be news is that there
is clear evidence linking the pattern of use in parents to the child's
substance use.

The genetic predisposition to addiction is well established. There is
increased risk if one side of a person's family has issues with addictions,
and an even higher risk if both sides of the family have members with
addictions. "Problem" use also depends on the addictability of the
substance used (it's easier to get addicted to nicotine, crack and heroin
than to marijuana).

Age at first use is also a factor. Teens are starting to use at earlier
ages, even before adolescence begins, meaning they have a longer time to
"practice" usage - increasing the odds of becoming problem "users." It also
means they have fewer alternative tools to affect judgment, moderation of
use, peer selection, impulse control, etc. Drinking before the age of 15
gives one a four-times greater chance of being alcoholic than if one waits
until 21 to drink. Forty- seven percent of adults who report drinking at
the age of 13 meet criteria for chemical dependency.

What do teens learn from parents who problematically use substances? They
learn it is OK to medicate oneself. If life is hard, if life is painful,
the option to reduce that pain by taking a substance is perceived as
acceptable. Problematic use by definition affects life areas such as work,
home, school and family relationships. Problematically using parents set
standards for the teen that such behaviors are acceptable.

We tend to surround ourselves with people who use substances like we do.
Parents who "use" will likely be around other adults who do, reinforcing
the message that problematic use is normal.

The clear message is that "everyone does it." Since marijuana and many
other substances are illegal and less-than-honest behavior is practiced by
people who doctor-shop for continuing access to pills, parents are teaching
teens that adherence to some laws is optional; it is acceptable to
exaggerate or fabricate stories to get new prescriptions. Certainly parents
who use with, and/or supply, their children are breaking the law with every
use.

Another major issue is the relationship between substance use and child
abuse/neglect cases in this country. The National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York estimates that 70-90
percent of all cases of child abuse/neglect accompanies problematic use of
substances by parents.

In families where parents problematically use there are higher rates of use
by teens and no model of responsible use. Patterns that we know help teens
transition into successful adults are often missing. There is a noticeable
lack of quality communication, consistency and parental supervision. Teens
in these families report a perception that the parents are less concerned
about their welfare.

One can easily imagine the difficulty in suggesting that a teen change
his/her use when s/he returns home every night to a parent who uses
problematically. Since all research-approved interventions for teens in
trouble with substance use involves some form of family participation,
imagine the difficulty of trying to help a child stop using when one or
both parents continue to use.

One of the major difficulties with substance abuse is the person using is
often the last one to recognize that usage has become problematic. It's
easy to presume your usage is normal, the same as others around you, and no
big deal.

If you are a parent using substances, even though you may believe you are
using appropriately, please stop and review your use. Take a break from
using for the summer. See if not using makes a difference in how you feel,
how you interact, how you communicate. Test yourself on how hard or easy it
is to go without for several weeks/months.

Look around and see how involved with substances your social life is - are
substances always present, does everyone you know use? Talk to a health
professional. If you're concerned, see a licensed mental health
professional who specializes in substance abuse and ask for an evaluation.
Be certain of your use. Remember, it affects the ones you love.