The conference at Arizona State University’s West campus was sponsored by TERROS, a Phoenix-based organization that helps people recover from substance abuse, mental illness and other behavioral health problems.

"In the last two or three years, we’ve had a significant surge in alcohol, ecstasy, prescription drugs and marijuana use among teens. And you notice that those are all the party drugs," said researcher and substance-abuse treatment expert Karol Kumpher, from the University of Utah.

She believes the upsurge is an attempt to reduce some of today’s economic stress in families and the loss of time spent with parents. She said parents have spent about one-third less time with their kids over the past three years, an average of 4.2 hours per week.

"Research shows that in the area of bonding and attachment, time together is incredibly important in building positive relationships. Parents do matter. Try and stay involved with teenagers in positive ways," Kumpher said.

Kumpher was among 30 speakers at the annual conference, which included 24 workshops with topics such as how to better treat clients of Mormon faith, Arabic and Islamic and other diverse cultures, and how health-care professionals discriminate against overweight people.