The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XII: Teens and Parents
About 80 percent of teenagers in high school have witnessed drug dealing and drug use, and 31 percent of high school students and 9 percent of middle school students see such activity at least once a week, says a report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. The nonprofit center is based at Columbia University in New York City.
Twenty-four percent of teenagers surveyed said they view drugs as the primary problem for them and their peers, the report says, while only 11 percent of parents deemed drugs the primary concern. Forty-five percent of parents said that the primary problem for teenagers is social pressure. The annual report includes survey results from more than 1,000 young people ages 12 to 17, and from 550 parents.
