NCJ Number
167726
Date Published
1995
Length
31 pages
Annotation
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America's children tracking study interviewed 2,265 children in 1993 and 2,424 children in 1995 to survey their attitudes toward drug use.
Abstract
Overall, children in 4th through 6th grades had solidly negative attitudes toward drugs in 1995; 9 of 10 believed using drugs was dangerous. Intolerance toward drug use remained strong between 1993 and 1995. Smoking marijuana was not acceptable to most children, and few said they would be influenced to try drugs if their friends did. Very few children felt drug use had benefits, and their overall attitudes toward other children who used drugs were negative. Resistance skills of children improved between 1993 and 1995. In 1995, children were more likely to say they knew what to do if someone gave them drugs, and resistance to peer pressure also remained strong. Children indicated they learned about the dangers of drugs from school, parents, and the media. Although children had a strong antidrug foundation, the survey revealed some possible concerns. In 1995, children were significantly more aware of marijuana, reported more friends used marijuana, and said it would be easier for them to get marijuana. Parents represented the main source of information about drugs, but children in 1995 were less likely than children in 1993 to indicate their parents talked to them about drugs. Demographic data on survey respondents are tabulated. 17 tables