Is your teen drinking or using drugs?

Teenagers experiment. Their natural growth demands it. It’s the time of life to explore, test limits and seek fresh experiences. It’s the age when young people try to fit in with others, forming groups of peers for mutual support and socialization.

It’s a time of splendor and discovery, and it’s a time of danger. For parents, it can be a time of great worry.

A recently released survey of local teenage drug use, conducted in 2008, justifies parents’ angst. Almost three of every 10 students in one of our area high schools admit to having five or more alcoholic drinks in a two-week period in the month before the survey, according to the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

Close to 20 percent of the teens said they had smoked marijuana, and almost 40 percent said they’d had at least one drink in that month.

These numbers are typical for many South Shore communities. The survey revealed that our middle- to upper-middle-class suburban teens abuse alcohol and other drugs at a significantly higher rate than the county and state averages.

Statewide, OASAS surveyed more than 92,000 teenagers in grades seven to 12. Throughout the state, the survey showed:

■ 49 percent of high school seniors drank alcohol in the previous 30 days.

■ 31 percent of the seniors reported binge drinking — downing more than five drinks in a sitting — in the previous two weeks.

■ 18 percent of the seniors said they had experimented with prescription pain medications.

■ 11 percent of all those in grades seven to 12 reported smoking marijuana in the previous month.

So, parents have good cause for concern — and every reason to act. The question is, what to do?

First, adults should listen to what teenagers are telling them. According to OASAS, teens indicated that prescription painkiller abuse and underage drinking are the greatest areas of concern. Parents should talk with their teens — and even young children — about the dangers of drinking and ingesting prescription opiates. And they should do more.

They should make sure that any painkillers in their homes are safely locked away. They should even consider locking their liquor cabinets. Yes, kids might find alcohol or drugs in other ways, but why make it easy for them?

OASAS outlined clear action steps. Families should establish clear rules forbidding drug and alcohol use and the consequences of breaking those rules.
Schools, meanwhile, should:

■ Assess the adequacy of their substance-abuse policies and programs. To learn more about educational programs aimed at preventing substance use, consider teaming up with a prevention professional. A list can be found at www.oasas.state.ny.us.

■ Support their community prevention coalition or help start one.
Communities, OASAS recommends, should:

■ Support efforts to raises awareness among community groups about the dangers of substance abuse.

■ Seek out and support prevention programs.

The American Medical Association considers drug addiction a chronic disease. Addicts can get help by calling the HOPEline at (877)-8-HOPENY (846-7369) toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.