Youth alcohol, drug use with parents' consent less likely to encounter problems but still put them at risk: study

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New research has surfaced showing that teens who consume alcohol and drugs with their parents' consent may have a lower risk for experiencing negative consequences such as injuries or school-related problems compared to their counterparts who do so without their parents' knowledge. However, both groups of teens who consume alcohol and drugs are still at risk for addiction and other problems associated with alcohol and drug use, Reuters reports.

Researchers from Massachusetts presented their study at the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting in Chicago, which involved surveying 15,686 sixth to twelfth grade students in 24 countries between 2009 and 2014. All of the participants were participating in school-based programs run by FCD Prevention Works, an international non-profit organization focused on substance abuse prevention.

Researchers began asking the teens if they used alcohol marijuana or other drugs that were not prescribed to them, at home or without their parents' knowledge. Results showed that 40 percent of the participants admitted to drinking alcohol in the past 12 months, and 39 percent admitted to using substances with their parents' knowledge, and 55 percent admitted to using substances without their parents' knowledge.

Results also showed that teens who used substances without their parents' consent were two to five times more likely to report a negative consequence, compared to those who used substances with their parents' consent.

Researchers found that 85 percent of teens experienced at least one of 21 negative consequences linked to substance abuse, including feeling sick, fighting with friends, becoming dependent, getting hurt or being disciplined at school.

FOX News reports that according to Heather Fay from FCD Prevention Works, "In protecting adolescent health, using at home with or without a parent's knowledge still poses a risk. While the magnitude of risk was higher without parental knowledge, there was still a risk with the parents' knowledge."

Based on the results, researchers recommend that the parents communicate the risks of drug and alcohol use to their children. Fay said, "We’d love to be able to see that data to see if they complement each other or are at odds with each other."

In another study conducted by researchers at University of Georgia, tobacco addiction was found to be an overlooked issue, as it does not carry the same stigma that alcohol and drug use do, EurekAlert reports.

However, lead author Jessica Muilenburg, an associate professor at UGA's College of Public Health, explained, that tobacco use "changes the chemistry of your brain and makes you crave whatever your drug of choice is, which is why kicking the tobacco habit with the rest of your addictions is important."

Muilenburg and her team looked at ways in which counselors and health authorities can help adolescents and young adults stop smoking and prevent tobacco addiction. She said, "Their primary goal is getting them off of alcohol and other drugs, but if we can get them off of all drugs, including tobacco, it will be more beneficial for them in the future."