Children inherit drug, alcohol habits from parents

The study carried out by researchers from the Sam Houston State University discovered parents who abuse drug and alcohol are more likely to have children who pick up those same habits, as compared to parents who do not use substances.

For their study, the Sam Houston State University researchers monitored the patterns of substance use in families for 27 years. The substance use data were collected over three generations as a part of the National Youth Survey Family Study, involving 655 parents and 1,227 children who were surveyed from 1988 through to 2004.

The researchers focused on when parental substance use occurred, and when it increased or declined over time.

The researchers discovered that substance use did influence children's likelihood of using drugs and drinking alcohol.

They found that the odds of children’s alcohol use were five times greater if their parents used alcohol. Similarly, their odds of marijuana use were two times higher if their parents used marijuana, while children’s likelihood of using other potentially dangerous substances were two times higher if their parent used the same drugs.

They also discovered that marijuana and drug use tended to decline right before or at the age of 24. On the other hand, alcohol use remained steady throughout one's lifetime.

“The study is rare in that it assesses the extent to which parent’s substance use predicts use by their children within age-equivalent and developmentally specific stages of the life course,” said researcher Kelly Knight, Ph.D.

“If a parent uses drugs, will their children grow up and use drugs? When did the parent use and when did their children use? There appears to be an intergenerational relationship.

“The effect is not as strong as one might believe from popular discourse, but when you measure it by developmental stage, it can provide important information on its impact in adolescence and early adulthood, specifically.”