Ellen Freedman, coordinator of Holliston's Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative, says she is encouraged by parents' response to last month's presentation of a survey that showed they underestimate marijuana use and binge drinking among local teenagers.
Rather than responding with denial, she said, parents have said they want to work together to curb the behavior.
Freedman said they applied the survey results to their own situation. "I don't think there was quite as much denial as 'This information is going to help me talk to my kids.' "
In a 2006 survey, 18.5 percent of ninth- and 10th-graders and 30.5 percent of 11th- and 12th-graders reported that they had used marijuana in the previous 30 days. By contrast, in an e-mail survey this fall, only 0.8 percent of parents of freshmen and sophomores, and 15.8 per cent of parents with juniors and seniors said they thought their children had used marijuana.
Parents' perception of alcohol use by teens was closer to the reported levels, with 43 percent of parents of 11th- and 12th-graders saying they thought their children had consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days, compared with 53 percent of students having reported doing so. Among the younger students, 32 percent reported alcohol use, while 22.7 percent of their parents thought they drank.
Parents "were definitely surprised at how high the use was, and they were surprised that there was such a distinction between the students' reported use and the parents' perception," Freedman said.
In response, she said, about half a dozen parents have volunteered to host living-room coffees to discuss the teen behavior with other parents. Others have offered to chaperone substance-free activities and help put together a parent handbook on substance abuse.
Leesa Greenberg, a parent who attended the presentation last month, called it "a good start" and said it motivated her to talk more with her children and other parents about substance abuse.
"I think it was good for our kids to see us going to this forum," Greenberg said. "It's good for parents and kids to be on the same page with what's expected."
Greenberg said she plans to host one of the discussion groups. "I think the key is open communication with other parents," she said. "That's how you're going to know what's going on."
Parent Linda Bellomo said it is important that other parents are connecting, both through the forum and the small groups.
"The forum was great because there were other parents who felt the same way," Bellomo said. "I think talking with other parents, people can share what worked and what didn't work."
It is easier to keep track of teens if parents know each other, allowing them to avoid calling a relative stranger to see whether there will be adult supervision at parties, Bellomo added. "It definitely makes it more awkward when you don't know the parent you're calling," she said.
Holliston Police Detective Jim Ward, the school's resource officer, said partying has evolved in recent years. For one, he said, marijuana is more potent now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Also, instead of throwing large keg parties that attract the attention of police, teens will often gather a small group of friends via text messaging and pass around an easily concealed bottle of hard liquor.
"It's easier to get past your parents," Ward said. "Teens could have a bottle of vodka under the couch, and they're sitting around drinking Sprite with the vodka."
Ward said increased parent-to-parent communication would help with the situation, but parents still need to ask themselves a key question: "What would you do if you were a teenager trying to get away with something?"
