SAMHSA Says Fewer Adolescents Exposed to Drug Prevention Messages

SAMHSA Says Fewer Adolescents Exposed to Drug Prevention Messages
April 7, 2009

News Summary

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that fewer adolescents are being exposed to substance-use prevention messages or participating in out-of-school prevention programs.

On the other hand, more adolescents said they talked to at least one parent about alcohol and other drugs, the survey found. The population of adolescents engaging with at least one parent about substance abuse-related topics increased to 59.6 percent in 2007 (from 58.1 percent in 2002).

Those who had such conversations with their parents were significantly less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, researchers found.

The report, Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages and Substance Use Among Adolescents: 2002 to 2007, was based on national surveys of adolescents ages 12-17. The report shows that the population of adolescents exposed to prevention messages dropped from 83.2 percent in 2002 to 77.9 percent in 2007. Adolescent participation in out-of-school prevention programs fell from 12.7 percent in 2002 to 11.3 percent in 2007.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Tony on 08 Apr 09 09:06 AM EDT

As a recovering addict (i`m 44), I know how important prevention is!I live in Clinton Ark.& need all info. material & literature I can get for our youths, we need a program BAD.. I also am involved w/mothers against meth,Please help me help our youth`s.Thanks~~Tony...(tgp@artelco.com)

Posted by MNKC on 08 Apr 09 09:36 AM EDT

I can see why there are less adolescents being exposed to Prevention messages, because as usual the government likes to make the job harder and harder. Prevention programs are now supposed to produce outcomes, which I can understand to an extent. Tax payers money should go to things that do work; however, when a program is only given minimal funding to do educational strategies, environmental strategies (changing community laws) and research, the task is very daunting. I feel a lot of prevention providers are saying it is just not worth it anymore to keep doing prevention programs. To me this is all a case of the head not knowing what the rest of the body is really doing or has the capacity to do.

Posted by Joyce on 08 Apr 09 10:07 AM EDT

Could it be that the youth media is no longer television, print and radio? Many in social marketing feel they have moved to other forms of media, Facebook, Myspace, etc. Perhaps more funding should be available to create messages on those media...let kids add widgets to their page, become a fan of not using alcohol or drugs.

Posted by John from Oceanside on 08 Apr 09 11:43 AM EDT

Dear MNKC I hear your frustration. We are very lucky that the County we work in is commited to AOD Prevention. We are lucky, but I know we have to show outcomes. It is just the times we work in. We were selected as CADCA's Got Outcomes Coalition of the Year for our body of work. It's hard but at the end of the day we know we have made a difference. After winning this award we lost our DFC Grant because we had it 10 years. All the coalitions that have proven outcomes for the last ten years are all loosing their funding. We do feel lucky to have had the funding and will go on fighting the good fight to make our community better. Hang in there and do what you can. We need you.

Posted by Al on 08 Apr 09 12:22 PM EDT

Good ideas, Joyce. I am a fan of coming up with solutions instead of complaining. You're ideas are great! As far as having a DFC grant for ten years and "losing it" goes, can anyone say "sustainability plan?" We need to get creative folks!

Posted by jrose on 09 Apr 09 10:33 AM EDT

Working in an adolescent cd program I have come to believe that the prevention programs such as DARE to not work - Youth learn about drugs and their effects and become even more curious. Parents need this type of information and youth can benefit from prevention which stresses self-esteem, community and creativity.

Posted by John from Oceanside on 10 Apr 09 12:37 PM EDT

Al I didn't say we were going away, in fact we have added staff and coalition members. We are addressing problems on all levels. Policy, community organizing,and new and old media. We are lucky we had a sustainability plan, but in these fiscal times it will be very hard for some of the others to keep going.

Posted by shel on 10 Apr 09 05:22 PM EDT

I have read studies that show the biggest threat to teens is anti drug messages on TV, and radio.The out of sight,out of mind effect should be utilized, as far as media is concerned. We need to be aware of what our children do,who they see, where they go.Most of all we should be educating them ourselves- in our communities.I am a meth360 presenter,and working with teens in my community means a great deal to me.They need to hear it from actual people, not ads.

Posted by Linda on 13 Apr 09 09:55 AM EDT

I work in the media world helping communities present prevention education to kids by engaging kids in actually making the messages, using the tools they love best: technology and pop culture, movies, music and music videos. I have many free examples on Youtube. Please contact me if you are interested in learning more. (taproot@redwing.net)

Posted by James on 13 Apr 09 10:14 AM EDT

Most of you are missing the positive and most important point of this article and the study. Parents are talking to their kids about use and prevention! That's a much more effective tool than any TV ad or printed brochure. Perhaps the article should have been titled "Parents are Talking to Their Kids About Alcohol and Drugs". There has been a focused effort over the last several years to reach parents about their primary influence in their kids' decisions about use. It sounds like the efforts are working!!!

Posted by Esther Armmand on 13 Apr 09 11:45 AM EDT

I am hopeful to see this article in support of strong and consistant substance abuse prevention messages. Where I live in New Haven, our youth tend to get more message which encourage use and not prevention. This country must do more to focus on prevention efforts especially among our youth before the abuse of alcohol and drugs will keep them from ever being the people they are capable of being. We must continue to help local leaders see substance abuse prevention as a local priority necessary in order to create neighborhood environments where our youth are safe and drug free. We truly need a grass-roots prevention movement to make this change. Let us continue to engage others to join in with us to make substance abuse prevention the viable reality.

Posted by Cris on 13 Apr 09 01:14 PM EDT

Perhaps this is because agencies like SAMSHA no longer financially support diresct prevention services to children and community schools have yet to internalise the need for a strong in-house ATOD prevention program. The years in question are a time of flux for the system. On the other hand, schools are overwhlemed with demands and the current low S&DF School money almost discourages schools from participating in prevention efforts. At this point I feel we need a carrot and a big stick to get all of the schools participating in prevention efforts.

Posted by go on 14 Apr 09 05:08 PM EDT

A problem in my communities comes due to the limited amount of time that is available during the school year for science-based programs which are oftentimes TIME consuming.

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