New Research Says Increase Family Time to Lower Teen Substance Abuse

OneHope to release findings on Int’l Day Against Drug Use-June 26^th

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. June 4,2013- There is an easy way to lower your child’s likelihood of substance abuse: Eat dinner together.

In correlation with the International Day Against Drug Use on June 26^th, OneHope is sharing itsSpiritual State of the World’s Children research findings: the teenage “norm” has gone global- crossing cultural and religious boundaries-and youth with a more positive family experience report significantly less substance use than those with lower scores.

“If we can strengthen the family, we can help teens make better life choices,” said OneHope President Rob Hoskins. “Parents can protect their children by simply spending time with them.”

This study of the more than 152,000 13 –19-year-olds in 44 countries revealed that teens with positive family experiences report more positive outcomes- including less substance abuse.

According to OneHope’s global research, 1 in every 10 teens has used some type of illegal substance within the last 3 months, and 21% have been legally drunk.

OneHope isn’t the only group to find a correlation between family experience and drug use.

CASA Columbia’s 2012 family dinner White Paper finds that teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week) are more likely to report having excellent relationships with their parents. The White Paper also finds that compared to teens who say they have an excellent relationship with their parents, teens who have a less than very good relationship with their father are almost four times likelier to have used marijuana and teens who have a less than very good relationship with their mother are almost three times likelier to have used marijuana.[i]