The research the Partnership does to help better understand the wants and needs of parents is invaluable to our work. It is also frequently covered in the media which helps enormously in our outreach. On rare occasions, very well-intentioned efforts by the press to showcase our research don’t work out as planned. I thought I’d share my letter today to the good folks at USA Today regarding a “snapshot” that fits that description:

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July 14, 2009

To the Editor:

While we were delighted to see the Partnership / MetLife Foundation PATS study cited in your “Snapshot” of July 14, (“Do Parents Want Schools to Teach Kids about Drug Use?”) we think it’s critically important to clarify the significance of the data presented.

The numbers shown indicate that 66% of fathers and 78% of mothers disagree that “schools should have the main responsibility for educating teens about drug use.” These numbers reflect positively on parents’ willingness to take responsibility for educating their children about the risks of drug use and drinking. They do not indicate that parents regard schools as unimportant in the effort to keep their kids drug-free.

It is the combined effect of parents, communities, media initiatives and school-based programs such as Safe and Drug-Free Schools that has resulted in a sustained reduction in teen use of drugs and alcohol over the past ten years.

Sincerely,

Stephen J. Pasierb
President and CEO

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Thanks for letting me share.  And, thanks for continuing to support Decoder.

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  Posted by: Steve Pasierb