ABSTRACT
Parents are a most valuable source of influence in directing their children away from drug use. The truth is that many parents do not realize the power they have in regard to their children’s ideas about the use of drugs. There is much confusion regarding the attempts to explain the etiology of parental impact on adolescent drug use. The fields of medicine, psychology, and sociology offer a variety of theories. Parents and the child’s total environment have an impact. These write upon the heart and mind of the child to create what he or she becomes. As children grow and enter the adolescent phase of their development, if they have learned through experience that their parents can be relied on to tell them the truth, the discussions about drugs and alcohol can be less volatile and more informative. The impressions and guidance created by parents become a large level for the child as they build their life.
