Is peer pressure stronger than a parent’s influence?
When young people do not have access to accurate and balanced information they turn to friends to help decide what is good for them. This is the case is many issues not just drugs. Young people favour their peers as a credible source of information about drugs because they share views about adults and of what it is like to be growing up in their own environment. Young people tend to get positive messages about drugs rather than messages about the risks and damaging effects. When uninformed adults speak to young people about drugs they reveal their ignorance and reinforce the view that friends are a better source of information. When informed parents speak to young people about drugs, they can correct the partial or misleading information received from peers and challenge the acceptability of drug use amongst young people. However, properly providing peer training can be an effective method of providing drug prevention programmes to young people.
