A new study, which could be valuable to pediatricians and other doctors, showed that neither teens nor their parents can be trusted to self-report their abuse of illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin or pain killers.
More than 200 teens and 200 caregivers (80 percent of the caregivers were mothers) who lived in a high-risk urban setting were asked in a non-clinical setting whether or not they used the above-named drugs. In order to take part in the study, the participants had to agree to undergo drug testing – the results of which were guaranteed to be kept confidential.
Although not one teen admitted to recently using opiates such as heroin or prescription painkillers, hair tests showed that nearly 7 percent had. Among parents, 3 percent admitted using opiates, but testing revealed the same usage rate of 7 percent.
More than one in 20 teens was using drugs near the time of the study, which means about 15 or more of the teens lied. As mentioned earlier, none came clean about their usage. The researchers stated that pediatricians and other doctors should not take teens at their word if drug use is suspected, even if the parents do not suspect it.
When it came to the use of cocaine, the usage rates were quite alarming. Drug tests revealed that a total of 33 percent of teens had used the drug in the last three months. Only one percent of teens reported usage however. A total of 28 percent of caregivers used cocaine, but only 6 percent fessed up to it. A total of about 5.3 million Americans abused cocaine in 2008, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The researchers concluded that many participants, whether kids or parents, may feel that their personal business is theirs and nobody else’s. Or perhaps they did not trust the confidentiality that was provided. Or perhaps they simply wanted to portray themselves in a more positive light than how their actions might be construed.
Regardless of the reasons for the participants lying, it only seems to make sense that the number of those who admitted to using drugs would have been even lower if the drug users were not in a friendly, controlled environment – and if they were not going to be exposed as a liar through testing.
Parents and doctors alike should consider the fact that drug testing may be the only true way to find out if someone is abusing drugs.
The findings of the study can be found in the November print issue of the journal Pediatrics, and the results were also posted online Oct. 25.
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