On July 31, 2001 The Associated Press reported that parents who once
used marijuana are about three times as likely to have children who use
the drug, according to a government study.
The study by the Department of Health and Human Services was based on
9,463 surveys of parents and children conducted between 1979 and 1996 by
federal researchers.
``The study points out, once again, the power of parents to help their
children stay healthy and drug free,'' said Joseph Autry, director of the
department's office on drug abuse.
``It found that parent's attitudes and drug use history — whether a
baby boomer or not — had an effect on their children's likelihood of
marijuana and other drug use.''
The study found that children mirror their parents in other ways.
Parents who felt that taking marijuana wasn't risky tended to have kids
who felt the same way.
But researchers also concluded that an increase of drug use in the
1990s can't be blamed on baby boomer parents.
