A new study has found a distinct link between popularity and substance abuse. Researchers from the Université de Montréal found that the more popular a child and their friends were, the greater their alcohol and drug consumption was.
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Researchers have found that public school students nationwide are experiencing more gang violence and drug use than ever before, according to recent data.
Read more about National Study Finds Jump in Drug Use in Public Middle and High Schools
In the United States, most young people begin drinking alcohol at age 13, and every day, more than 5,000 kids under 16 have their first taste of alcohol. With the prevalence of underage drinking, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health decided to look into how many young people are exposed to alcohol advertising through magazines. They found that exposure decreased by 48 percent between 2001 and 2008. In 2003, the alcohol industry voluntarily pledged to not place alcohol ads in magazines with more than 30 percent youth readership.
Read more about Fewer Young People Exposed to Alcohol Ads in Magazines, but Beer Ads Have Increased
“Robo tripping,” “Dex,” “Skittles,” “Triple-C,” “Syrup,” “Tussin”: These are all terms used to describe drinking cough syrup to get high. Many over-the-counter cough medicines contain dextromethorphan (DXM), which, when taken in high doses, can lead to confusion, dizziness, slurred speech, impaired coordination, disorientation, hallucination, rapid heart beat, loss of motor control, and dissociative sensations. When combined with other drugs like alcohol or prescription medications, the dangerous side effects are increased.
While many a teen is familiar with a pharm party – one in which kids gather and share the drugs they find in their own medicine cabinets to try and experience a high – there are still others who have a true problem. According to a recent WebMD report, a new study finds many high school students are using prescription drugs without a prescription.
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Parents may have good reason to pay attention to the style of music their children prefer. While parents are often shocked by the language and subject matter of the songs their kids listen to, there may be something more shocking going on: a change in how kids make decisions about using illicit drugs.
Read more about Study Examines Impact of Music with Cannabis References on Adolescent Marijuana Use
With all the recent news stories about medical marijuana clinics, the number of states allowing access to medical marijuana, the push for legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, it might be tempting to think that marijuana is not really that bad, in the scheme of things, not really addictive or harmful at all. That would be a mistake. There are consequences to marijuana use and, while it may not approach that of hard drugs like heroin or methamphetamine use, the effects are still cause for concern – especially among teens. Parents and concerned caregivers take note: There is effective treatment for teen marijuana use.
How Big is the Problem?
Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in America, and has been for decades. It is also the number one drug of choice for millions of U.S. teens. While parents may find the statistics of teen marijuana use startling, the prevalence remains fairly consistent across numerous studies. In one recent study of 11,426 teens, one-quarter (25 percent) said they had already smoked marijuana, 13 percent had smoked it during the previous month, and 6 percent had smoked cannabis more than 4 times in the previous month.
In a press release (http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pressreleases/09drugpr.pdf) about the results of the 2009 Monitoring the Future Study (MTF), researchers pointed out that teen marijuana use has been increasing gradually over the past two years, following years of declining use. The MTF has been tracking drug use among U.S. teens since 1975. Each year, about 50,000 8th, 10th, and 12th graders are surveyed (12th graders since 1975, 8th and 10th graders since 1991).
Lloyd Johnson, the study’s principal investigator said that while marijuana use isn’t up dramatically, the trending upward stands in sharp contrast to nearly a decade of declines. More troubling are attitudes and perceptions. “Not only is use rising, but a key belief about the degree of risk associated with marijuana use has been in decline among young people even longer,” says Johnson, “and the degree to which teens disapprove of use of the drug has recently begun to decline. Changes in these beliefs and attitudes are often very influential in driving changes in use.”
The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUHlatest.htm) shows that of the 2.2 million recent initiates to marijuana in the past year, most (61.8 percent) were under the age of 18 at first use. Among youths aged 12 to 17, an estimated 5 percent had used marijuana for the first time within the past year.
Factors that Increase Risk of Teen Marijuana Use
Experts have identified the following factors that increase the risk that teens will begin using marijuana:
• Poor family relationships
• Household access to marijuana
• Poor school experience
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of (or little) religious identity
• Fear of dying
• Working more than 20 hours per week
• Poor grades
Potency of Marijuana Increases
Marijuana that is available in the U.S. today is much more potent than cannabis in the 1970s, according to research. Today’s levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main ingredient in marijuana (of more than 170 different compounds), is nearly 9 percent today, compared to less than 1 percent in the 1970s. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has been quoted (http://jcctcc.wordpress.holton.k12.ks.us/adults-and-parents-heads-up/er-visits-for-teen-marijuana-use/) as saying, “Marijuana is not a benign drug. Marijuana can be addictive: it interferes with brain functions, like learning and memory. And it may pose a threat to the health and well-being of children and adolescents at a critical point in their lives – when they are growing, learning, maturing, and laying the foundation for their adult years.”
Negative Effects of Marijuana Use
The increased potency of marijuana available today carries with it increased risk of negative effects in the users. In other words, marijuana use by teens is far from harmless, even in small quantities. Some of the negative effects of teen marijuana use include:
Short-term Effects:
• Increases in blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Increased tendency toward depression
• Impaired judgment and reduced coordination
• Problems with memory and learning
• Distortions in perception (sights, sounds, smells)
Long-Term Effects:
• Addiction – Not everyone who smokes marijuana will become dependent or addicted to the drug. But when someone feels they need to smoke it in order to feel better, to escape from their problems, to avoid tasks or responsibilities, they are said to be dependent on or addicted to it. In addition, frequent, heavy users of marijuana develop a tolerance to the drug. This means they require more of it and more often in order to achieve the same high or the same results they used to get from smoking smaller amounts. It is important to note that people can become emotionally and mentally addicted to marijuana. Getting the drug, so-called drug-seeking behavior, becomes all they think about. Their days are consumed by thoughts of, cravings for, and use of, the drug. This is classic addiction.
• Damage to brain cells – THC disrupts nerve cells in the brain where memories are formed. This makes it harder for someone who uses marijuana to recall recent events and also makes learning more difficult. Short-term memory is thus affected in learning or performing tasks that require more than 1 or 2 steps. In terms of long-term damage, researchers know that chronic marijuana use over a period of years takes its toll on the brain’s functioning. The extent of the long-term damage of marijuana use on the brain is still being studied.
• Lung and other respiratory problems – Studies show that people who smoke marijuana tend to have the same type of breathing problems that cigarette smokers do. These include frequent coughing, phlegm accumulation in the throat and chest, wheezing, and more chest colds than non-smokers.
• Compromised immune system – Studies of animals have found that THC can damage cells and tissues that protect from disease.
• Reproductive system difficulties – Heavy marijuana use can affect the reproductive systems of both males and females. The effects of THC could cause delayed puberty in males, and, in females, the drug may disturb the monthly cycle (menstruation periods and ovulation).
• Cancer potential – Scientific evidence is inconclusive whether marijuana can cause cancer, but marijuana smoke does contain many of the same – and sometimes more – cancer-causing chemicals as smoke from cigarettes. Studies have shown that someone who smokes 5 joints per week may take in as many cancer-causing chemicals as a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes daily.
• Increased risk of schizophrenia – Among persons with underlying substance abuse and mental disorders, the risk of schizophrenia (or other mental disorders) may increase with chronic, long-term cannabis use. Researchers are exploring the connection between co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and mental disorders) and marijuana use.
Marijuana usage, especially chronic, has other short- and long-term effect on teens. These include the way they are able to perform in a variety of settings. Marijuana use affects how they perform at school, at work, in extracurricular activities, sports, and other social interactions, and how they interact with parents and other family members. Since marijuana smokers tend to display reduced motivation and increased apathy, they are less likely to be on time for work, school, or appointments, and are more likely to show a lack of interest, enthusiasm or diligence in doing well at school or other activities.
Signs of Marijuana Use
Parents may fear prying into their teens’ lives, but it is important for parents and other caregivers to be on the lookout for telltale signs of marijuana use. Certainly the combination of several of the following signs should be cause for concern:
Teens that require treatment in the emergency department for drug-related injury are sending a signal for a cry for help. None are so urgent, however, as the signal indicated by a teen who arrives in the emergency department who has attempted suicide while using drugs.
Marijuana is widely used by teenagers as a recreational drug. The effects of using marijuana during the teen years have been debated, with some calling marijuana a “gateway drug” that leads to the use of more potent illegal drugs. Some parents consider using marijuana as a normal part of teenage life, while other parents believe marijuana is a warning sign of more trouble to come.
Read more about New Research Indicates Marijuana Really Can Be a Gateway Drug for Teens
A new study by the researchers at University of California San Diego suggests that sleep-deprived teens are more likely to use drugs, thereby increasing their vulnerability to dependence.
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