Teen Substance Abuse - Parental Denial
Many different factors are thought to play significant roles in the problem of teen drug and alcohol abuse. There is one such factor, however, that is known to be of critical importance and yet receives relatively little attention from caretakers and researchers. This is the issue of parental denial and avoidance.
Over the years federal and state funding for anti-drug interdiction and rehabilitation programs have targeted the border areas, busy ports of entry, and neighborhoods in economically deprived communities.
Little attention has been paid to the spreading problem of drug and alcohol use in well off areas.
A key reason for this is that the problem appears to be actively denied by parents, avoided by entrenched community institutions such as churches, medical practices, and school systems, and assigned low priority by law enforcement authorities. Open admission and discussion of drug and alcohol use among teens is confined to small and relatively intimate social events and then dismissed as if the whole subject is a taboo and will somehow demean the status of the community. It would seem that parents are worried that revelation of their teenager's drug or alcohol abuse will detract from their own standing in the community.If we are ever to generate change in these communities certain tactical steps must be taken:
• Councils must be established (composed of local governmental representatives, law enforcement officials, religious leaders, educational personnel, business leaders, electronic and print media representatives and health care practitioners) which meet on a regular basis via a planned agenda reflecting the steps necessary to identify and address the issue of teen drug and alcohol abuse in the community.
• The proceedings of the council need to have coverage in print and electronic media (many towns now have public access cable television channels).
• Subcommittees from the council need to interact with the parents in the community perhaps by arranging meetings with groups of parents in homes throughout the community.
• An advertising campaign for the work of the council should feature cost - free announcements in community businesses and public transportation and utility vehicles.
• Parents need to participate on the council.
• Data reflecting the amounts and kinds of drug and alcohol abuse taking place in the community must be collected from health care professionals, law enforcement authorities and when possible, from teenagers themselves.
• The council's main task after establishing the extent of the problem is to design a strategy to address drug and alcohol abuse in the community and to design effective prevention programs to arrest further spreading of the problem.
• The council would also be expected to design and implement supportive group discussion venues for parents of abusing teens.
• The council should attempt to influence the educational establishment to take steps necessary to identify the problems in the school settings and develop methods for efficient coordination with law enforcement and health care personnel.
• The council should establish a website and telephonic "hotline" for use by teens and parents seeking help for drug and alcohol issues.
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