At a recent gathering, Staten Island parents talked about the sharp drug use increase they've seen lately among their teenage children. Borough President James Molinaro expressed concern that most parents choose to ignore the early warning signs.

"Dr. Kipnis summarized the attitude of many parents he has spoken with as, 'We live in a great place. There's no one selling heroin on the corner, so I can't believe that my child is addicted.'"

Some parents also said that, because they grew up in the 1960s and 1970s - and may have used drugs themselves, they feel their authority as parents is compromised. However, Joe – the parent of a teen who started using marijuana but quickly progressed to harder drugs – says that's no excuse, explaining that a parent can't know if their kid will be the one who can't stop using. Read more at SILive.com.

Adolescent drug treatment programs can help get your teen's life back on track. Learn about the myth's of alcohol and teen drug abuse at AdolescentSubstanceAbuse.com.

Labels: drug_use, influences, role_models