When parents misuse opioids, kids are more likely to do so too

New research suggests that kids whose parents have misused opioids are more likely to do so themselves. Researchers analyzed data from 35,000 parent-child pairs who participated in national health surveys from 2004 to 2012. Nearly 14 percent of adolescents whose parents had misused prescription opioids had also misused the drugs, compared to 8 percent of adolescents whose parents hadn’t done so. And while the study can’t show cause and effect, the authors say that interventions to tackle opioid misuse among teens should also address misuse among parents.