Monday, February 25, 2013

'People shouldn't admit taking drugs before kids'

People who take drugs should never admit it in the presence of their children, or they might be tempted to experiment with narcotics themselves, warn researchers.

Although previous studies may have suggested that parents should be open about their addiction to prevent their children from taking drugs themselves, the latest study shows the reverse is the case.

Jennifer Kam from the University of Illinois, US, based her findings that involved more than 500 high school kids. They were asked about chat with parents about alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, the journal Human Communication Research reports.

The report said that even when parents spoke about negative experiences, it increased the chances of their children also using drugs, according to the Telegraph.

However, children whose parents did not talk about drug use but delivered a strong anti-drug message were more likely to exhibit anti-drug attitudes themselves.

Kam adds: "Parents may want to reconsider whether they should talk to their children about times when they used substances in the past."

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