[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 102 (Monday, July 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S8801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. 
        Coverdell):
  S. 1390. A bill to help parents and families reduce drug abuse and 
drug addiction among adolescents, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.


                         DRUG FREE FAMILIES ACT

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, we are all aware that drug use has 
decreased overall in the last 15 years. One of the principal reasons 
for this is that we were successful in slowing the rate of 
experimentation and use among our young people. However, drug use is up 
dramatically among the young in the general population. Children as 
young as eight and nine are being confronted with the decision of 
whether or not to try drugs. This raises the possibility of a new 
epidemic of use and addiction. As you know, much is already being done 
to help children make the right decision. Prevention education is 
provided by various anti-drug groups, but these groups can't be 
effective in their teachings if prevention education does not begin at 
home. It is vitally important that parents make the time to school 
their children on the dangers of drug use and abuse.
  Throughtout the years, research has been done on whether or not kids 
listen to their parents. The fact is kids do listen. It is clear that 
parents have influence in the choices their children make. The problem 
is, when it comes to drugs and alcohol, not all parents see a need to 
influence their child's decision or are aware of how serious the 
problem is. Some are ambivalent about their own past use. Some are in 
denial about what's happening. And why is that? A survey by the 
Partnership for a Drug Free America shows that less than a quarter of 
the parents questioned even acknowledge the possibility that their 
child may have tried marijuana. Unfortunately, of those parents 
surveyed, 44 percent of their children actually did experiment with 
marijuana. If parents aren't aware of the reality of the situation, how 
can they prepare the 6 out of every 10 teenagers who are offered drugs 
each year.
  The problem isn't that the parents don't care. It is that they don't 
know. Parents underestimate the reality of drugs. As a result, they 
seldom if every talk to their kids about drugs. According to a recent 
PRIDE survey, only 30 percent of students reported that their parents 
talked to them often or a lot about drugs. This seems unfortunate when 
we look at evidence that shows drug use 32 percent lower among kids who 
said their parents talked with them a lot about drugs. The harsh 
reality is that 94 percent of parents say they talked to their teens 
about drugs, yet only 67 percent of teens remembered those discussions. 
Even more disturbing is a public opinion poll by the American Medical 
Association that illustrates that 43 percent of parents believe 
children using drugs is a serious national crisis, yet only 8 percent 
believe it is a crisis in their local schools, and 6 percent in their 
local communities.
  Today, on behalf of Senators DeWine, Sessions, and Coverdell, I am 
introducing legislation that would bridge the gap between parents and 
the realities of youth drug use and abuse. The Drug Free Families Act 
would promote prevention education for parents. The goal is to promote 
cooperation among current national parent efforts. The kind of parent 
collaboration that the Drug Free Families Act proposes would unite 
parents at the national level to work with community anti-drug 
coalitions in the fight against drugs. It would not only help to 
educate parents, but help them convey a clear, consistent, no-use 
message. Through the Drug Free Families Act, we can give parents the 
resources necessary to educate our youth on the dangers of drugs.
  It is clear that parents need assistance in educating kids on drug 
use and abuse. Parents, not Government, are the key to addressing the 
drug problem. We need to help them. I urge my fellow Members to support 
the Drug Free Families Act.
  From my own experience in my State of Iowa, holding, as I did in 
1998, more than 30 town meetings on the issue of drugs, one of the 
things I learned from the young people--junior high and high school 
young people who came to my meeting--was, in their own words, a 
statement on their part of somewhat frustration with their own 
families, that their families were not telling them about the dangers 
of drugs. There was even the suggestion from some young people that 
what we need is a parent education project so parents would be better 
at setting boundaries for kids, the necessity of listening to kids, but 
most importantly on the issue of drugs: As a parent, get the message 
out to young people about the dangers of drugs.
  I got the feeling very definitely from young people of my State that 
they knew more about drugs, even more about the dangers of drugs and 
the availability of those drugs, than their parents do. I think the 
surveys I have pointed out today to justify the Drug Free Families Act 
justify and back up what the young people of my State of Iowa told me 
in those hearings last year.
                                 ______