NCJ Number
166190
Date Published
1997
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study examined juvenile drug use and attitudes based on more than 12,000 interviews with children in grades 4 through 6, teenagers in grades 7 through 12, and parents.
Abstract
The study found that more children between 9 and 12 years of age were using drugs and that more were becoming increasingly tolerant of drug use. Children in grades 4 through 6 were less likely to consider drugs harmful and risky and were more likely to believe drug use was widespread and acceptable. In addition, these children reported more friends who used illicit drugs and said they received less information about the dangers of drugs. One in four children between 9 and 12 years of age was offered drugs during the previous year. The trial use of marijuana increased from 2 percent of children in 1995 to 4 percent of children in 1996. Children were less likely to say they did not want to hang around people who used drugs. White children showed more tolerance of drugs than black children. Parents of young children were less inclined than parents of teenagers to talk about drugs. Drug use by teenagers increased between 1993 and 1996, and increases were most notable among middle- and upper- income teenagers. 2 tables