The review considers parental influences from several perspectives, including parents' own behavior as well as their interactions with their adolescent children. The review begins by examining the connections between parents' own smoking and drinking behaviors and their adolescents' smoking and drinking beliefs and behaviors. The impact of parental smoking and drinking on adolescents' peer selection is also considered. The review then explores the links between parental messages to adolescents about smoking and drinking (through direct discussion as well as the use of sanctions) and the adolescents' subsequent smoking and drinking decisions and beliefs. The findings of this review suggest that educators and clinicians should re-evaluate their beliefs about the causes of adolescent behavior and their subsequent strategies for prevention and intervention with adolescent populations. Although the current approach emphasizes the predominant influence of adolescents' peers on their behavioral choices, this review suggests otherwise. Professionals involved with both parents and their children should reinforce the importance of parental influence and, in so doing, provide support for parental attempts to exert influence to increase their children's prosocial behaviors and decrease their antisocial behaviors. 69 references