In Summary

The influence of parents factors highly in teens' decisions on substance use and abuse. Parents can never watch their kids every minute, and as teens grow they need some space to explore, but by initiating family dialogues on drug and alcohol prevention, by issuing clear rules and consequences for the violation of usage rules, by modeling appropriate sober behaviors and by staying involved as much as possible; parents can exert a strong and positive preventative influence.

Nothing is guaranteed, but parents who make prevention of drug use and abuse a priority are less likely to suffer the heartbreak of a child's abuse and addiction.