NCJ Number
166189
Date Published
1997
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, based on more than 12,000 interviews with children, teenagers, and parents, found significant erosions in antidrug attitudes and increases in the number of young people who used drugs, particularly marijuana.
Abstract
The study revealed children in grades 4 through 6 were less likely to consider drugs harmful and risky and were more likely to believe drug use was widespread and acceptable. These children reported having more friends who used illicit drugs and said they received less information about the dangers of drugs. One in four children was offered drugs during the previous year. The trial use of marijuana increased from 2 percent of children in 1995 to 4 percent of children in 1996. The number of children aged 11 and 12 years who reported having marijuana-using friends increased from 7 percent in 1993 to 13 percent in 1996. Children were less likely to say they did not want to hang around people who used drugs. White children showed more tolerance of drugs than black children. Parents of young children were less inclined than parents of teenagers to talk about drugs, and parents seriously underestimated drug use by their children and exposure to drugs. Teenage drug use was higher in 1996 than in 1993. 2 tables