The quality of a child's relationship with its mother may make all the difference between becoming a drug addict or remaining free of drugs. Living with both parents is also a key factor in avoiding drugs, but not for youngsters living in Dublin, according to a new study.
Dr Paul McArdle, originally from Dublin, and colleagues at the University of Newcastle, surveyed 34,984 youths aged 14 and 15 selected at random from Dublin, Newcastle upon Tyne, Rome, Bremen and Groningen.
They were asked whether they took drugs or used alcohol and whether they lived with both parents.
They were also asked questions about the quality of their relationships with parents and about parental supervision. The survey results are published this morning in Addiction, the journal of the Society for the Study of Addiction.
The study found that quality of family life, particularly attachment to the mother, was the factor offering the greatest protection to teenagers against developing drug habits. Living with both parents was less important but also offered significant protection.
When neither factor was present, 42.3 per cent of the teenagers used drugs. This fell to 32 per cent if either one of the two factors was present and reduced further to 16.6 per cent when both factors were present.
Living with both parents and having someone at home after school showed no association with reduced drug use in Dublin, however. The authors speculate that high drug availability through peer groups could overwhelm the protection afforded by both parents being at home.