Abstract
Adolescent substance use is the world’s leading number one public health issue (CASAColumbia, 2011). For many adolescents, illicit substance use has become part of the norm within their adolescent years (Crews, He & Hodge, 2006). According to the Trust for America’s Health Report, the drug overdose rate among ages 12 to 25 has more than doubled during the past decade, rising from 300,000 deaths in 1999-2001 to 700,000 deaths in 2011-2013 (Thompson, 2015). Research shows that addiction can negatively also affect teens mentally, emotionally, and physically (Humphries, 2016). Thus, there is a dire need for early effective drug intervention and prevention to help protect and inform teens. Families can be an important protective context for decreasing substance use and abuse. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether types of conversations during family meals relates to adolescent substance use. Also, the study examines whether family cohesion mediates the relationship between types of conversations and adolescent substance use. Data were obtained through questionnaires completed by 72 college students, ages 18 to 24 years, enrolled in child development courses at a Northern Californian public university. Findings depicted that an increase in criticism during family meals was correlated to marijuana use and cocaine use. On the other hand, conversations that involved parental monitoring was associated with a decrease in cocaine usage with results showing that parental monitoring was a potential protective factor for substance use. Families who had conversations during family meals that involved parental monitoring were less likely to initiate cocaine use. Family meals provide important opportunities for positive conversations and parental monitoring that can strengthen connections among family members. Resilient families who build positive connections may be more likely to work through conflict and maintain relationships with one another. The findings point out the importance of parental monitoring and lack of criticism during adolescence. The relationship between specific conversations and substance use demonstrate the significance of family meals for prevention and intervention efforts against adolescent delinquency.