Rave generation parents 'more familiar with drugs'

[cannabis-sam]

[top]Rave generation parents 'more familiar with drugs'

One in five young people think their parents have taken drugs, according to a survey published today.

One in 10 of those think their parents still take them, while only 1% of parents questioned think their own children take drugs.

In the poll, commissioned by specialist drug and alcohol charity Addaction, over half of young people said their parents "understand about drugs".

The charity suggested that parents today were more familiar with drugs than in the past because they grew up in the "rave generation" of the 1980s.

Tomorrow (October 6) Addaction is launching a £10 million appeal to respond to the scale of drug and alcohol abuse among young people in the UK.

Of the young people surveyed however, 90% described themselves as being "against drugs" and nine in ten also feel "little or no pressure" to take drugs when with friends.

Only one in ten said celebrities taking drugs seem "cool" - yet two thirds of parents are concerned about the impact of this on their children.

Two thirds of adults think illegal drug use among young people is increasing and 83% said parents "don't take enough responsibility" for their children's behaviour.

But only 8% of young people said they would be likely to tell their parents if they were using drugs, with two in three preferring to confide in friends.

Commenting on the findings, chief executive of Addaction Deborah Cameron said: "The rave generation of the 80s have grown up and become parents.

"This should give us the basis for more realistic discussions between parents and children about drugs, but our concern is that the demonisation of these issues often means the debate takes place in a moral panic."

She said as many as one in six families are now affected by a family member's problem drug use.

"We want to encourage a much more open dialogue within families about drugs and alcohol," she added.

The survey questioned almost 2000 adults and 500 young people aged 14 to 18.

..........

PA

Sunday, 5 October 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...gs-952063.html

[Jasim]

This is interesting. I used to do similar survey research via phone several years ago. We did a study on teens in the Midwest USA and drug use. It was almost impossible to collect valid data. The teens weren't always truthful. Many parents wouldn't even let us talk to their kids. And sometimes the teens didn't understand what we were asking about.

The idea is that if you collect enough data and do it in a random way, then all these variables should somehow even out. Personally, I don't think that's the case.

Too bad they never discuss the methods of obtaining this data. Irregardless, maybe this will help to "open dialogue within families about drugs and alcohol". I can't imagine arguing against this no matter which side of the drug war.

[doggy_hat]

Parents today know more about drugs because of the rave generation? What about the whole 60's hippie movement? If anything, parents back in the 80's would've been the most knowledgeable on drugs.