The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (Teens)

The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS): Teen 2007 Report, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, August 2008

This study accompanies the Partnership’s study of parent’s attitudes about teen drug use, released in June, 2008. 

The 20th annual study confirmed that overall drug use among teens is decreasing, but found that teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines are still of concern.  The study also noted a significant change in teen motivation for drug use over the past ten years; teens are using drugs more to help solve problems and less just for fun.

  • Three out of four teens (73 percent) reported that the number one reason for using drugs is to cope with school pressure. 
  • In the PATS 2007 Parent Report only 7 percent of parents believed that teens might use drugs to deal with stress, clearly underestimating stress as a factor on their teens’ decision to use drugs.
  • Two-thirds (65 percent) of the students ranked using drugs to feel better about themselves and using drugs to look cool as the other top reasons for using drugs.
  • Although still the most abused illegal drug, marijuana use continues to decline and has become less socially acceptable among teens.
  • Teen perceptions of risk in trying methamphetamine or using it have increased.
  • Teen perception of the risk in trying Ecstasy once or twice and regular use has decreased between 2005 and 2007.
  • Teens continue to use prescription medications; 41 percent think they’re safer to abuse than illegal drugs.  According to the survey, 1 in 5 teens (4.4 million) has abused prescription medication and nearly 1 in 5 teens (4.2 million) has already abused a pain killer.
  • 45 percent of teens believe that taking cough medicines to get high is risky, the same as in 2005; actual use remained at the same level as 2005.

PATS research consistently show that kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use than those that do not.  However, only 32 percent of teens report that they are getting the message from their parents.

The full report can be found at http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Research/PATS_Teens_2005_Report/New_Generation_of_Teens