Posted on 10/26/2002 2:57:03 PM PDT by Roscoe
(NAPSA)-Users say it makes them mellow. Proponents of legalization say it's okay to smoke. Doctors warn of its harmful effects. Researchers say that in the past decade, the number of eighth graders who have used it has doubled.
The debate about marijuana continues, but there is one point that everyone generally agrees on -kids should stay away from the drug.
"There are many popular myths about the so-called harmlessness of marijuana, but we know from research that marijuana use is risky for teens at a crucial time in their lives," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy.
One common myth is that the drug is safe. Experts agree that marijuana puts kids at risk. It's harmful to young bodies and minds that are still developing. Marijuana affects the brain and can impair mental health, leading to increased depression and anxiety. Some health risks associated with smoking marijuana are similar to those posed by tobacco.
Kids who use marijuana regularly show a decrease in academic achievement. Even short-term marijuana use has been proven to cause problems with memory, learning, cognitive development and problem solving.
Recent research also shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are more likely to get in trouble with the law, struggle in school, have delinquent friends, engage in unsafe sex and end up in risky and dangerous situations.
Drugged driving is another danger. One roadside study of reckless drivers who were not impaired by alcohol showed that 45 percent tested positive for marijuana.
It's also a myth that marijuana is not addictive. Marijuana sends more teens into treatment than any other illicit drug. Sixty percent of teens currently in drug treatment are there because of marijuana.
According to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of all the people entering treatment for marijuana in 1999, more than half (57 percent) first used the drug by the age of 14.
Parents can help kids by countering the folklore on marijuana with real examples of how marijuana can put their futures at risk. Studies show that parents are the single most powerful influence in their children's lives. Parents who are involved and talk to their kids about drugs are less likely to have kids who use drugs.
For more information about marijuana and tips on things you can say and do to keep your child drug-free, visit www.theanti drug.com, the parent Web site of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
Look for a downloadable copy of Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free: A How-to Guide for Parents and Caregivers, or call 1-800-788-2800 for a free copy.
Some of them must post here. :)
No, they are there because they are required to get "treatment" by the courts.
Source?
Yea, really. They should make murder illegal too :P
C'mon, what's your source?
Still waiting for that (imaginary) source.
Harmlessness is a relative concept when different drugs are compared. MJ is relatively harmless compared to alcohol, which no one need remind you is legal for adults. Nothing in and of itself is harmless especially if it is abused or used in excess. Where it comes to mj, proponents of legalization argue that it is less harmless than alcohol, and therefore mj should be placed in the same regulatory framework as alcohol. No one suggests that teens use drugs (mj or alcohol), except for maybe teens themselves.
Speaking of harmlessness - look at this recent story of a study indicating MSG can cause blindness. Perhaps Chinese food should be outlawed and the government should commence with a War on Eggrolls. To think that some people may even eat Chinese food under the influence of mj - it's a wonder our society still functions...oh, the humanity!
I personally know 2 guys who were in and out of treatments for Heroin. I have never met or heard of anyone being in a treatment program volunteraly. By the way, you article doesn't mention how those teens ended up in the treatment programs. So what's the addictive chemical that's in pot? Still waiting...
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