Parents believe they are doing their job, but the data suggest otherwise.
While 98 percent of parents say they have talked with their children about drugs at least once, only 65 percent of teens recall such a conversation. Researchers believe several variables influence these outcomes, the most obvious being parents' willingness to broach the subject frequently. Other factors include parents' full engagement in every aspect of their children's lives, and parents' abilities to speak persuasively and credibly about drugs. Roughly 57 percent of African-American parents surveyed said they talk with their children about drugs regularly. The latest survey also confirms an earlier PATS finding that the most critical period for children concerning exposure to drugs comes between 6th and 7th grades.