Parental Awareness of Substance Use Among Adolescents in a Junior High School Sample

There is a lack of studies assessing parental awareness of adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and drug use in the general adolescent population. A total of 1,426 adolescents aged 14 to 16, and their parents, answered questions about adolescent substance use annually during junior high school. Sensitivity for parental report of adolescent substance use was low: 5.6% to 26% for drunkenness, 14.3% to 20.6% for cigarettes, and 4.9% to 12% for illicit drugs. Higher age and higher frequency of use were positively associated with parental awareness of drunkenness and cigarette use. Female sex was associated with higher parental awareness of drunkenness. Higher school performance was negatively associated with parental awareness of drunkenness in Grade 9 and with cigarette use in Grades 8 to 9. Parental awareness of adolescent drunkenness, and cigarette and illicit drug use in the general population is low. Factors of importance for parental awareness are identified.