Supporting the families of young people with problematic drug use
The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) report, Supporting the families of young people with problematic drug use: Investigating support options (released February 2008) 'investigates the support needs of families who have, as a family member, a young person who is misusing substances'. This report complements the ANCD's 2007 report Drug use in the family: Impacts and implication for children.
"A significant proportion of family members may need support to cope with the impact of a young person’s substance misuse on their day-to-day functioning. In particular, family members are most likely to encounter alcohol misuse by a young person, with at least one in five young people consuming alcohol on a weekly basis by middle adolescence. Further, approximately one-fifth of young people in the 16–17 age range report regular binge drinking. Cannabis and amphetamine- type substances are the next most frequently used drugs." (Executive summary, p.viii.)
- The majority of treatment providers in Australia do not currently provide a direct service for families who have a young person with alcohol or drug problems.
- With the exception of tobacco, alcohol is far and away the most widely used substance by young people, with high rates of binge drinking reported across all surveys (and increasing with age).
- Brothers' and sisters' needs are being overlooked and are significant because evidence suggests that sibling drug use may increase the likelihood of initial use by another child.
- Adolescents whose parents display a permissive attitude towards alcohol consumption tend to drink more.
- Once adolescents start experimenting with alcohol, increased parental monitoring is seen as the most effective strategy to reduce the risk of adolescent drinking at risky levels.