August 30, 2002

Parental Disapproval of
Youths’ Substance Use
R
esearch suggests that rates of
In Brief substance use among youths are
lower among those whose parents
z In 2000, most youths aged 12 to disapprove of substance use than among
17 thought their parents would those whose parents do not disapprove.1 The
strongly disapprove of their National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
substance use (NHSDA) asks youths aged 12 to 17 to report
how they thought their parents would feel
z Youths who were younger, about their trying marijuana/hashish once or
female, or Asian were more twice, having one or two drinks of an
likely to think that their parents alcoholic beverage nearly every day, or
would strongly disapprove of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per
their substance use compared day.2 The survey also asked about use of
with youths who were older, marijuana/hashish, alcohol, and cigarettes
during the month before the survey.
male, or from other racial/ethnic
groups
How Youths Think Their Parents Feel
z Substance use was lower About Substance Use
among youths who believed
Of the estimated 23 million youths in the
their parents would strongly
United States aged 12 to 17 in 2000, the
disapprove of their substance majority thought their parents would strongly
use compared with those who disapprove of their substance use. Almost 90
felt their parents somewhat percent thought their parents would strongly
disapproved or those who disapprove of their trying marijuana/hashish
thought their parents would once or twice (Figure 1). Almost 88 percent
neither approve nor disapprove thought their parents would strongly
disapprove of their having one or two drinks
The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report may be downloaded from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda.htm. Citation of the source is appreciated. Other
reports from the Office of Applied Studies are also available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov/.
NHSDA REPORT: PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL OFYOUTHS’ SUBSTANCE USE
Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting That They Thought Their Parents Would
Strongly Disapprove of Their Substance Use: 2000
70% 80%
Trying
Marijuana/Hashish
Once or Twice
Having One or
Two Drinks of an
Alcoholic Beverage
Nearly Every Day
Smoking One or
More Packs of
Cigarettes per Day
of an alcoholic beverage nearly
every day, and 88 percent thought
their parents would strongly
disapprove of their smoking one or
more packs of cigarettes per day.
Younger youths were more likely
than older youths to think that their
parents would strongly disapprove of
their substance use (Figure 2).
Females were more likely than males
to think that their parents would
strongly disapprove (Figure 3).
Asians were more likely than those
from other racial/ethnic groups to
think that their parents would
strongly disapprove (Figure 4).
Youths living in large metropolitan
counties were more likely than their
peers in small and non-metropolitan
counties to think that their parents
would disapprove of their alcohol or
cigarette use (alcohol: 89 percent
large metropolitan vs. 88 percent
small metropolitan, 86 percent non-
metropolitan; cigarettes: 89 percent
large metropolitan vs. 87 percent
small metropolitan, 86 percent non-
metropolitan); however, the
August 30, 2002
Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting That They Thought Parents Would Strongly
Disapprove of Their Substance Use, by Age: 2000
90% 100% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Trying 94.3
Marijuana/Hashish 89.6
89.5
Once or Twice 84.7
Having One or 92.4
Two Drinks of an
88.3
Alcoholic Beverage
87.9 Nearly Every Day 83.0
Smoking One or 93.2
More Packs of 89.1
Cigarettes per Day 81.0
87.8
Age Group 12 or 13 14 or 15 16 or 17
percentages of youths who thought neither approve nor disapprove were
their parents would disapprove of past month marijuana users.
their trying marijuana/hashish once Likewise, rates of past month
or twice were similar across county cigarette smoking were lower
types. among youths who thought their
parents would strongly disapprove of
their smoking one or more packs of
Perceptions of Parental cigarettes per day (9 percent)
Disapproval Related to compared with youths who thought
Adolescent Substance Use their parents would somewhat
disapprove or would neither approve
The rate of past month use of
nor disapprove (46 percent).
marijuana/hashish, alcohol, or
Furthermore, youths who thought
cigarettes was lower among youths
their parents would strongly
who believed that their parents
disapprove of their having one or
would strongly disapprove of their
two drinks of an alcoholic beverage
substance use compared with rates
nearly every day were less likely to
among those who thought their
have used alcohol during the past
parents would somewhat disapprove
month (13 percent) than youths who
or would neither approve nor
thought their parents would
disapprove (Table 1). For example,
somewhat disapprove or would
5 percent of youths who believed
neither approve nor disapprove (40
that their parents would strongly
percent).
disapprove of their trying
marijuana/hashish once or twice
used marijuana/hashish during the
past month. In contrast, 27 percent
of those who felt their parents would
somewhat disapprove or would
August 30, 2002 NHSDA REPORT: PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL OF YOUTHS’ SUBSTANCE USE

Figure 3. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Figure 4. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17

Reporting That They Thought Their Parents Would Reporting That They Thought Their Parents Would
Strongly Disapprove of Their Substance Use, by Strongly Disapprove of Their Substance Use, by
Gender: 2000 Race/Ethnicity: 2000

70% 80% 90% 100%

70% 80% 90% 100%
94.3
Trying 90.6
Trying 90.4
Marijuana/Hashish 89.9
Marijuana/Hashish 89.1
88.8 Once or Twice
Once or Twice 76.0

Having One or 92.2

Having One or 86.3
89.7 Two Drinks of an
Two Drinks of an 87.7
Alcoholic Beverage 88.1
Alcoholic Beverage 86.2 Nearly Every Day 84.9
Nearly Every Day
92.0
Smoking One or 88.3
Smoking One or 88.4
More Packs of 87.6
More Packs of 87.6
87.3 Cigarettes per Day
Cigarettes per Day 79.8

Asian Hispanic Black White

Female Male American Indian/Alaska Native

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual

Table 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Reporting Past Month Substance Use, by How They Administration (SAMHSA). The 2000 data are based on information
Thought Their Parents Would Feel About Their obtained from nearly 72,000 persons aged 12 or older, including more than
Substance Use: 2000 25,000 youths aged 12 to 17. The survey collects data by administering
questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-
to-face interviews at their place of residence.
Parents’ Feelings About Youths’ The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS),
Substance Use SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Somewhat Disapprove/ Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication
Past Month Strongly Neither Approve and statistics:
Substance Use Disapprove nor Disapprove Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2001).
Summary of findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug
Marijuana 4.9 26.9 Abuse (NHSDA Series: H-13, DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-3549).
Cigarettes 8.9 45.3 Rockville, MD: Author.
Alcohol 13.0 40.0 Also available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Additional tables: 3.28B, 3.29B, and 3.30B
from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda/2kdetailedtabs/Vol_1_Part_3/
End Notes V1P3.htm.
Additional tables available upon request.
1. Hawkins, J.D., Catalano, R.F., & Miller, J.Y. (1992). Risk and protective
factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early
adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Bulletin, 112, 64-105. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
2. The three response categories were (1) neither approve nor disapprove, (2) www.samhsa.gov
somewhat disapprove, or (3) strongly disapprove.

Figure and Table Notes

Note (table and all figures): Respondents with missing data were excluded.
Source (table and all figures): SAMHSA 2000 NHSDA.