Smoking & Substance Use

About one-third of parents report they had received at least one pain medicine prescription for their children in the last five years. 35% of parents are very concerned about misuse of narcotic pain medicines by children and teens in their communities; only 19% are concerned about misuse in their families.

Few parents believe their own teens are drinking alcohol (10%) or using marijuana (5%). Parents’ perceptions fall below teens’ own reported use (52% for alcohol; 28% for marijuana). Many parents of teens overestimate marijuana and alcohol use by teens nationally.

Tobacco smoke is reported as a cause of asthma attacks by 73% of parents of asthmatic kids. Nearly half of parents with asthmatic children say their kids spend time with smokers – who are often the parents themselves.

68% of adults think e-cigarettes should have health warnings like cigarettes and nicotine products do. 85% of adults support laws that would prohibit e-cigarette sales to minors.

Over one-half of adults believe alcopops promote underage drinking. Three-quarters of adults say underage drinking is a problem in their communities. 9 in 10 adults support alcohol warning labels for alcopops. 4 in 5 adults support banning alcopop ads from youth websites and magazines.