Lessons Learned
Who?
Fears regarding "stranger danger" are mostly unwarranted, especially in suburban or rural areas, less than 5% of drug offers were from strangers. Urban youth may encounter more offers from strangers, but still less than 10% of these came from strangers.
Some youth report family-members offering them alcohol and other drugs, especially the middle school youth. Middle school family members that make the most offers are mostly male cousins, uncles, brothers, and less frequently stepparents and parents. This is particularly evident in Latino/a populations
Concerns about a teenager's "wild friends," however, may be well founded. Friends exert more influence over drug use than any other category of relationship. Across all age groups, adolescents are offered drugs by their friends more than by any other relational partner.
Peer pressure tends to be exerted more in social settings (parties or other gatherings with large numbers of people) than at home or school (where the number of people in the setting is typically smaller). Middle school students describe scenarios that typically involve the presence of at least one other friend or acquaintance besides the offerer, and were more likely to take the drug when with a small group of 4-6 people or a larger crowd of people, indicating that social pressure does affect acceptance of a drug offer.
In fact, boyfriends and girlfriends (romantic partners) tend to make the most complex offers of alcohol and other drugs.