[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 141 (Monday, October 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12733-S12734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PARENTS' INFLUENCE IN YOUTHFUL DRUG USE

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I greet my colleagues with the often bad 
news of drug use by young people, and particularly with reference to 
the very important role of parents in preventing youth drug use. As I 
do occasionally, in my capacity as chairman of the International 
Narcotics Control Caucus of the Senate, I come to the floor to report 
on national surveys that go on in this area, surveys that have been 
going on for a couple of decades, so we are able to compare the 
incidence of increasing drug experimentation by young people as well as 
following trends we had in the last decade in declines in drug use by 
young people.
  I seek the floor today to visit with my colleagues on this very same 
subject, as I have many times in the past since I have been chairman of 
this group of our colleagues who spend a great deal of time on drug 
problems generally and, of course, a lot of time on the issue of drug 
use by young people.
  So, again, as happens at the beginning of every school year, there 
are these national surveys that are made public. Within the last month 
or so, several of these have been made public. That is what I want to 
discuss with my colleagues. There have been three national surveys 
released that tell the story of drug use in the United States, 
particularly among teenagers.
  On September 8 of this year, the National Center on Addiction and 
Substance Abuse--that is called CASA, for short. Let me say it again: 
It is a National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. That 
organization released its annual back-to-school survey on the attitudes 
of teens and parents regarding substance abuse. The survey stressed how 
essential it is for parents to get involved in their children's lives. 
The survey indicates that kids actually do listen to their parents. In 
fact, 42 percent of the teenagers who have never used marijuana credit 
their parents with that decision. Unfortunately, too many parents--45 
percent--believe that teenagers' use of drugs is inevitable. In 
addition, 25 percent of the parents said they have little influence 
over their teen's substance abuse.
  I suggest to that 25 percent that they ought to consider that 42 
percent of the young people in America have already responded to this 
survey, saying they do not use marijuana because their parents have 
influenced them not to. And for the 25 percent of the parents who do 
not think they can have any influence over their teen's substance 
abuse, they would probably have considerable and beneficial influence.
  CASA stresses how important parental involvement is. A child with a 
positive relationship with both parents is less likely to get involved 
with drugs. The survey also suggests that family-oriented activities 
such as eating dinners together and attending religious services 
together can reduce the risk of substance abuse.
  The second week in September also marked the release of the annual 
Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education survey. That acronym is 
PRIDE, P-R-I-D-E. PRIDE's survey on teenage drug use. The survey also 
indicated the importance of parents' influence in shaping the attitude 
of teens regarding the harmful effects of drugs, just like the CASA 
survey.
  Unfortunately, this past year the overall attitude among youth 
towards the harmful effects of drugs remains mostly unchanged. In fact, 
some attitudes worsened. Sadly, about 27 percent used an illegal drug 
at least once in the last year, and about 16 percent used drugs monthly 
or more often.

[[Page S12734]]

 Moreover, the number of students who regarded cocaine and heroin as 
harmful has decreased from the previous year. We know that, as 
perception of risk of use goes down, actual use of cocaine and heroin 
goes up. The monthly use of cocaine by high school students rose from 
3.1 percent to 3.2 percent, hallucinogens went up from 3.9 percent to 
4.2 percent, and liquor--and we don't often think enough of a legal 
product, liquor, being used illegally by young people as being a 
problem--but it went up from 26.9 percent to 28.1 percent. Worse yet, 
beer tends to be a gateway for uses of these other drugs that 
eventually leads, by some young people, to worse drugs. Unfortunately, 
in this PRIDE survey, the number of students who said drugs cause no 
harm increased over the previous year.

  So that message out there that is strong and hard and definitive and 
constant that drug use is bad, does work but not if it isn't 
consistently heard and reinforced.
  The PRIDE survey reiterates that parents have the power to change 
these attitudes. Those young people who say their parents talk with 
them a lot about drugs show a 37 percent lower drug use than those 
students who say their parents never talk to them about drugs. Despite 
this statistic, less than 31 percent of the students say their parents 
talk with them often or a lot about the problems of drugs.
  So we have one-third of the parents shirking their responsibility; 
and in shirking their responsibility, they are losing an opportunity to 
make a difference in whether or not their young people will experiment 
with drugs. Because we have that other survey that shows 42 percent of 
the young people in America do not use drugs because they have been 
influenced by their parents not to use drugs.
  The last survey I want to refer to is a National Household Survey on 
drug abuse. It was released 2 months ago. It gives a very clear picture 
that we still have much work ahead of us when it comes to educating our 
kids about drugs.
  The survey stated that almost 10 percent of our young people, ages 12 
to 17, reported current use of illicit drugs. An estimated 8 percent of 
youths in the same age category reported current use of marijuana 
fairly regularly.
  Unfortunately, this was not a significant change from last year. 
According to the survey, young people reported great risk of using 
cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol; and that percentage was 
unchanged from the previous year.
  The disturbing fact is 56 percent of the kids, ages 12 to 17, 
reported that marijuana was very easy to get. And 14 percent of these 
young people reported being approached by someone selling drugs within 
30 days of their interview for the survey.
  Although these statistics seem daunting, we have made some progress 
in keeping drugs out of children's hands. The National Household 
Survey--the last one I referred to--stated that the number of youths 
using inhalants has decreased significantly from 2 percent in 1997 to 1 
percent last year.
  The PRIDE survey reported that monthly use of any illegal and illicit 
drugs fell from 17 percent last year to 16 percent this year. Even more 
important is the fact that 60 percent of the students say they do not 
expect to use drugs in the future. And this is a 9-percent increase 
from the 51 percent last year.
  There may be some hope shown in those statistics, then, that finally 
a message about ``just don't do it,'' ``drugs are bad,'' may be making 
some progress.
  But we all know the war on drugs is tough and it is not one that will 
be won easily, but it is not one from which we in public life or within 
our families can walk away. Although these numbers and statistics 
remain exceedingly high, our efforts can make a difference and are not 
futile. I believe creating a drug-free environment for our youth is an 
accessible goal that we must work to reach.
  Surveys such as these play an important role in measuring our 
progress and determining the work that lies ahead of us. It is clear 
that the public is aware of the problem and expects Congress and the 
administration to do their part in finding ways to make counterdrug 
programs work.
  In a national poll on national drug policy, produced last month by 
the Mellman Group, the public supports effective drug control programs. 
As you can see from chart No. 1--if you would look at chart No. 1--the 
public particularly supports strong interdiction programs and 
consistent interdiction efforts. The survey shows 92 percent of the 
people questioned view illegal drugs as a serious problem in this 
country.

  I will now refer to chart No. 2. The majority of individuals think 
drug use in this country is increasing. Few see it declining, in other 
words. So it seems obvious to me--and I hope to all of you--that the 
American people are aware of the problem and are eager for a more 
assertive national drug policy from Congress and from the 
administration.
  When Americans are more concerned about the availability of drugs 
than they are about crime, we clearly need to take action. We cannot 
afford to let drugs devastate our country any further; we cannot afford 
to let drugs devastate any more young people. We have to be proactive 
in our efforts if we want to change these disturbing numbers that have 
come out in the CASA survey, the National Household Survey, and the 
PRIDE survey.
  We do not need a miracle for our young people. We need a strong 
family life and positive role models to guide our youth in the right 
direction.
  Education of the dangers of drugs starts at home. But it needs to be 
carried over into all of society. Parents need help in sustaining a 
clear and consistent ``no use'' message.
  In closing, I refer to an effort I am making in my State called Face 
It Together, an organization that tries to bring together all elements 
of our society.
  There are two elements of our society--at least in my State--that I 
do not think have done enough to be supportive of families because the 
front line in the war against drugs is the home. We cannot, in the 
home, push it off on the school, off onto law enforcement, off onto 
substance abuse professions. That front line is the home.
  But two institutions of society, in my State, I think, can do a 
better job. Maybe it is true of the other 49 States as well. Although 
it is more encompassing than just involving industry and business on 
the one hand, and the churches on the other hand in supporting 
families, that is where I want to concentrate my effort. Because most 
businesses and industries in my State have substance abuse programs, as 
a matter of necessity, for the health and well-being of their workers 
and to maintain the productivity of their workforce, we want those 
businesses that have a drug education and drug awareness program in the 
workplace to get their workers--men and women alike--to carry that 
message home and use it in the families, in the home, to support the 
effort which ought to be in that family already, of telling their 
children of the dangers of drugs.
  The other place where I do not think we have used enough of our 
resources is in the churches of our State, for messages from the 
pulpit, and to use the institution of the church to disseminate 
educational information to, again, be supportive of the family--mom and 
dad--to keep that message strong back home. This is something we all 
need to work on.
  I yield the floor.

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