Strong Connection With Parents Reduces Teens’ Prescription Drug Abuse: Study

Strong connections with parents who advise against drug use reduce teens’ risk of abusing prescription drugs, a new study finds. Positive connections with teachers and schools also reduce the risk.

Students who had connections with peers who disapproved of substance abuse also had a decreased chance of abusing prescription medications, University of Cincinnati researchers found. They studied more than 54,000 teens in grades 7 through 12, and found 13.7 percent reported using prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription, Science Daily reports.

Having relationships with peers who used alcohol, tobacco and marijuana increased the risk of nonmedical prescription drug use, the study found.

The study is published in the Journal of Primary Prevention.