Jan. 23, 2008

The percentage of Westchester parents who report that their teens use alcohol and other drugs is substantially above what parents report nationwide – but still these local parents are underestimating actual use by their kids.

This is among the conclusion of a new survey of Westchester parents, released  today by County Executive Andy Spano. Westchester parents were polled last year and the results were compared to an identical national survey of parent attitudes. The findings were then compared with different surveys done of Westchester youth from 2005-2007.

The Westchester parent survey were a project of Spano and District Attorney Janet DiFiore’s Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth, a countywide community coalition under the auspices of the county’s Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI. The survey was paid for with a grant obtained by the coalition.

“We commissioned this survey because we wanted to better understand the problem of teen drinking and drug use and the relationship between the attitudes of parents so we could shape our ongoing programs aimed at deterring drug and alcohol use,” said Spano. “The good news from this survey is that Westchester parents overwhelmingly disapprove of teen alcohol and tobacco and marijuana use. But the surveys show that they have more permissive attitudes than their national counter parts, especially when it comes to beers and wine coolers and punishing teens when they break rules. In addition, it appears that as a group they are underestimating their own teen’s use of drugs and alcohol.”

The Westchester parent findings were  based on the responses of 414 parents with children between the ages of 12-17 who completed a survey mailed to their homes last year. Their responses were contrasted with a national sample of 10, 450 parents who completed the same survey (known as the PRIDE Parent Survey). The youth finding are based on the responses of 7,484 secondary school students from 11 school districts in Westchester County between 2005-2007. 

The analysis of the findings was undertaken by Student Assistance Services, a Tarrytown-based substance abuse prevention agency that works closely with the county and county schools.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Westchester parents were more likely to report that their children had used alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs in the past year compared to parents in the national sample. Approximately 7 % of Westchester parents reported their child used tobacco or marijuana during the past year compared to 4% of parents reporting that their child used tobacco and 3% reporting their child used marijuana in the national sample.
• The contrast between Westchester parents and those in the national sample was greatest with their children’s use of alcohol. 25% of Westchester parents versus 6% of parents in the national sample reported their child used beer in the past year. This trend was also true for coolers and liquor use.
• Westchester teens are slightly to moderately more likely to use alcohol, tobacco and marijuana monthly, than students form a national sample. The exception is that Westchester 8th grade student’s use of marijuana is lower than their national counterparts.
• Westchester parents are still greatly underestimating their children’s use of these substances once parent attitudes are compared to what teens themselves said they do. By the time Westchester teens reach 12th grade, 52.5% reported drinking alcohol, 22.0% reporting using marijuana and 18.4% reported smoking cigarettes during the past month..
• Westchester parents were more likely than parents nationwide to report that their child has friends who use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs “often or “a lot, compared to parents in the national sample. Approximately 15% of Westchester parents reported that their child has friends who used tobacco, 22% reported that their child has friends who use alcohol, and 9% reported that their child has friends who use drugs. In contrast, only 8% of parents in the national sample reported that their child had friends that used alcohol or tobacco, and 1% reported that their child had friends that used drugs.
• Overall, 3.6% of 8th graders, 14.5% of 10th graders, and 22% of 12th graders in Westchester reported using marijuana in the past month. For alcohol, 21% of 8th graders, 39.6% of 10th graders and 52.5% of 12 graders reported past month use. For tobacco, 4.5% of 8th graders, 11.7% of 10th graders, and 18.4% of 12 graders reported past month use. 
• Westchester parents reported perceiving beer and coolers as less harmful than liquor with 79% of parents reporting beer and/or coolers as “harmful” or “very harmful” vs. 93% of parents reporting liquor as “harmful’ or “very harmful.”
• Like youth nationwide, Westchester youth first tried tobacco, next alcohol and finally marijuana. Of those who used one of these substances, the first-use for tobacco was on average aged  11.7; for  alcohol,  11.8 years; and marijuana, 12.6 years.
• The majority of Westchester teens believed that the regular use of alcohol (drinking 1-2 drinks every day), tobacco (smoke 1 or more packs of cigarettes per day) and marijuana (smoke marijuana regularly) causes moderate or great risk. As Westchester teens got older, a greater percentage of them believed that the regular use of alcohol and tobacco was harmful. In contrast, fewer Westchester teens perceived the regular use of marijuana as harmful, as they got older.
• Over half (57%) of all Westchester parents perceived that drugs and alcohol were a big problem facing youth “often” or “a lot” in their community. This was the same as in the national sampling.
• The vast majority of Westchester parents strongly disapprove of youth alcohol (93%) and marijuana (94%) use. When compared to a national sample, the Westchester parents were slightly less disapproving