Advances in neuroscience and longitudinal studies show that exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs at a young age leads to greater chances for permanent neurotoxic damage and psychological disorders later in life, Dr. Knight said.
"The data are shouting at us," he said. "We must protect these young people."
Knowledge Networks administered the Internet component of the survey, which 546 male teens and 491 female teens, along with 528 of their parents, completed. QEV Analytics conducted the telephone component, which 478 male teens and 528 female teens completed. CASA required parental or guardian consent for interviewing the adolescents, which was refused in 13.6% of eligible households.
Both components of the survey asked teens whether anyone could see or overhear their responses, but this did not appear to have an inhibiting impact on their answers. The findings note that confidentiality agreements, self-reporting, and the parental permission requirement might contribute to underreporting of substance abuse.