cannabisnews.com: Risk of Death is Higher in Young Marijuana Users










  Risk of Death is Higher in Young Marijuana Users

Posted by FoM on October 22, 2001 at 16:33:59 PT
By Rasheed Oluwa 
Source: Poughkeepsie Journal  

According to the Monitoring the Future Study, an ongoing study funded with grants provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 75 percent of eighth-graders polled believed day-to-day use of marijuana was harmful. That number decreases to about 58 percent for high school seniors. Although studies have shown marijuana isn't addictive, long-term use can lead to psychological dependence. Long-term use also can lead to decreased motivation, concentration and coordination. 
A recent study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed marijuana played a part in about 39 percent of drug-related hospital emergency room visits. Although the visits weren't for overdoses, the use of marijuana may have led to serious injury or death in the form of car crashes, accidents and suicides. Mike Hanrahan, a student assistance counselor at Beacon High School, said students who use marijuana often don't know they are being adversely affected. ''We've had kids who should have been on varsity sports that were academically ineligible after they started smoking,'' he said. ''I would challenge everyone who's smoking to stop for a while and see how it affected them.'' -- Rasheed Oluwa  Related Article:Most New Pot Users are Teens Note: Less fear of drugs boosts youth abuse.From recreational use to prescribed painkiller, the drug marijuana continues to seep its way through American culture. As federal agencies talk of an overall decrease in the number of new marijuana users, they point to a vexing challenge: The majority of new users continue to be people under the age of 18. ''It doesn't grab the same headlines as crack and heroin, but it hasn't gone away,'' said Sgt. Russ Bailey, head of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force. Some advocates of legalizing marijuana for medical uses claim smoking the drug provides relief for people suffering from cancer and AIDS. But opponents say medical marijuana use will make the drug more accessible, sending the wrong message to children. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, a yearly survey conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the number of new marijuana users fell from 2.5 million in 1999 to 2 million in 2000. About 70 percent of those 2 million new users were under the age of 18. Steven Pressman, director of the Dutchess County Council on Alcohol and Chemical Dependency, said a number of factors drive kids to marijuana use, including depression, dysfunctional family structure, peer acceptance, disposable income and perceived risk. 20% Used Drug Once ''If kids are less scared of it, they tend to use it more,'' he said. According to the Monitoring the Future Study, an ongoing study funded with grants provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 20 percent of eighth-graders polled in a national study have used marijuana at least once in their lives in 2000. That number rises to about 40 percent for 10th graders and about 49 percent for 12th graders. Those numbers have stayed roughly the same the past five years. Choices for Change, an initiative started by the Dutchess County Children's Services Council to decrease risk factors for youth and families in southern Dutchess, conducted its own survey. It found 56 percent of Wappingers and Beacon high school seniors surveyed said they had tried marijuana at least once. Joseph Mangiaracina, principal of John Jay High School in the Wappingers district, said he wasn't too surprised with the results. ''Some of the kids have mainstreamed it, it's something that they internalize as a mainstream activity,'' he said. Bailey believes marijuana is downplayed because it isn't associated with the same level of danger or violence as other drugs. Parents Often Unconcerned ''You've got some parents who find out their kids are smoking marijuana, and they'll say 'so what,' '' he said. Sean Silverman, vice president of the SUNY New Paltz Chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, said said the accessibility of the drug has lent itself to youth use. ''When I was in high school, it was easier for me to get marijuana than it was for me to get alcohol and tobacco,'' he said. According to the Monitoring the Future study, 88.5 percent of seniors surveyed felt marijuana was easy to obtain. That number decreased to about 77 percent for 10th graders and 47 percent for eighth-graders. Silverman believes youth marijuana use would decrease if the drug was legalized and controlled by the federal government in a way similar to tobacco and alcohol. Ted Peterson, principal of Poughkeepsie High School, said students there have been singled out for smoking marijuana. ''There's no doubt that in the morning we'll have some kids who will come into class high and we'll call their parents,'' he said. ''I can't say that it's happened recently, but it happens on occasion.'' Peterson said the problem usually works itself out when parents are informed. Others learn to hide their usage. Robert Benson, a student resource and Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer at Haviland Middle School, said he's witnessed a few rare cases where use of marijuana is encouraged by parents. Despite the societal pressures that exist, Benson said he believes most kids are afraid of the drug and would rather avoid it. He said they just needed the emotional support. ''Yes, it's going to come to a point where there's going to be pressure,'' he said. ''We just want to prepare them for it.'' Matt Dingee, a 12-year-old student at Arlington Middle School, said he's heard of other kids using marijuana and was even asked to try on a couple of occasions. ''I just tell them 'no,' '' he said. ''I play sports and stuff and I know it will mess with my lungs.'' Mixed Messages Noted Ryan Donovan, a sixth-grader at Haviland Middle School in Hyde Park, said he sees mixed messages regarding drugs in television shows and music videos. ''If they have that kind of stuff, some kids may see and think that it's OK,'' he said. Susan Acosta, quality assurance coordinator for Dutchess County Daytop drug treatment facilities, said juvenile treatment for marijuana is one of the most common and difficult substance abuse problems. ''A lot of them would say I don't have problem, I just smoke pot,'' she said. Isabel Burk, director of the Health Network, an consultant firm known for its substance abuse education work around the country, said it's important for parents to clearly let children know their opinions on drug abuse. ''When watching anti-drug commercials on the television or listening to them on the radio, you can turn to your kid and give them a very clear, simple statement,'' she said. AT A GLANCE - DRUG USE SIGNS Things to for parents to look for if they suspect their child is using drugs:- They're withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about their personal grooming.- They're hostile, uncooperative and frequently break curfews.- Their relationships with family members have deteriorated.- They're hanging around with a new group of friends.- Their grades have slipped and school attendance is irregular.- They have lost interest in hobbies, sports and other favorite activities.- Their eating and sleeping patterns have changed.- They have a hard time concentrating.- The eyes are red-rimmed and her nose is runny, but she doesn't have allergies or a cold.- Household money has been disappearing.- You have found any of the following in your home: pipes, rolling papers, small medicine bottles, eye drops, butane lighters, homemade pipes, or bongs (pipes that use water as a filter) made from soda cans or plastic beverage containers.Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free America Source: Poughkeepsie Journal (NY)Author: Rasheed OluwaPublished: Monday, October 22, 2001Copyright: 2001 Poughkeepsie JournalContact: jpenney poughkee.gannett.comWebsite: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/Related Articles & Web Site:SUNY New PaltzP.O. Box 775New Paltz, NY 12561Phone: (845) 255-7609 x2Web Site: http://www.newpaltz.edu/norml Fight Terrorism By Saying No to Drugs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11143.shtmlThere's No Hope with Dope http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11120.shtmlCannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #8 posted by elfman_420 on October 23, 2001 at 13:12:43 PT:
 Risk of Death is Higher in Young Marijuana Users
What is with the title?!?!? Isn't it disturbing to anybody else? It doesn't even make sense..They give one bullshit statistic, tell parents that marijuana is bad and their kid may be doing it, so watch out 'cause your kid might die from it. But don't worry, they probably won't overdose, but they might end up in the emergency room after committing suicide.. (credit for insight to p4me, thanks)These people don't even use basic logic.
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Comment #7 posted by p4me on October 23, 2001 at 08:19:23 PT:
I believe every word especially
A recent study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed
   marijuana played a part in about 39 percent of drug-related hospital emergency room visits.    Although the visits weren't for overdoses, the use of marijuana may have led to serious injury or death in the
   form of car crashes, accidents and suicides. By choosing to lay 2 out of every five visits on MJ, sure makes you think that somebody is lying about all the incidents that happen at raves with estcasy. And if they are talking about car crashes, alcohol has to be involved many times over than MJ. .And I thought they took suicide victims to the coroner. Why go on? I call bullsh**. They do not even mention the age group they are talking about. Thew author should be a better writer and they should fire the editor. 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 22, 2001 at 18:41:12 PT
NORML *Special* News Release
NORML *Special* News Release - U.S. Marijuana Arrests Continue
Release Date: October 22, 2001
Marijuana Violations for Year 2000 Hit All Time High, FBI Report Reveals
Washington, DC: Police arrested an estimated 734,498 persons for marijuana violations in 2000, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, released today. The total is the highest ever recorded by the FBI, and comprises just under half of all drug arrests in the United States.
"Today's war on drugs is really little more than a war on marijuana smokers," charges NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St Pierre. "Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers approximately $10 billion per year. This is a tremendous waste of national and state criminal justice resources, which should be focused on combating serious and violent crime, including terrorism."
Complete Press Release: http://www.norml.org/news/index.shtml#story1
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on October 22, 2001 at 18:30:53 PT
pathetic article
How many more instances of "may" "should" etc etc can you possibly get into one article?It's like the author's point is "Goddammit, hysteria just isn't what it used to be!"
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Comment #3 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on October 22, 2001 at 18:15:34 PT

Is it propaganda season, or what?
Perhaps this bit of scary fluff is for the Halloween season.It's got the bulk of the party line: medical cannabis movement will harm children, and this gem - **A recent study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed marijuana played a part in about 39 percent of drug-related hospital emergency room visits. Although the visits weren't for overdoses, the use of marijuana may have led to serious injury or death in the form of car crashes, accidents and suicides.** SAMSHA and NIDA are propaganda mills and they represent the bulk of what the average person (the person who wrote the "no hope with dope" articla, for example) knows about "druuugs". It is they in conjunction with the DEA and law enforcement keep the language blurred so that cannabis is equated (confused is a better term) with heroin. In fact , notice there are actually 2 articles - the first article mentions and is limited only marijuana. The second, more lengthy article sets out to blur the marijuana -"druug" differentiation. It does so by pairing the word "drug" with marijuana anytime marijuana is mentioned. It does this more than 8 times in the article.There's a great little blurb about the "kids" havining mainstreamed it". **''Some of the kids have mainstreamed it, it's something that they internalize as a mainstream activity,'' he said. Bailey believes marijuana is downplayed because it isn't associated with the same level of danger or violence as other drugs.**Well, duh! Thats becuase kids, generally, aren't stupid. They do dumb things, but thats part of childhood. cannabis prohibition is to blame for widespread use among children. The children of the Netherlands smoke significantly less cannabis, and do significantly better in academics that american children. (No, I dont have a link handy to "prove that" ... since when has legalization had anything to do with the presentaion of facts?)As a "mental health professional" I wasn't to take apart thier useful guide to spotting "druuug use" in their children. (I don't see Orrin Hatch's crieria in here - he includes social activism and concern for the rights of others to be signs of druuug use.)AT A GLANCE - DRUG USE SIGNS Things to for parents to look for if they suspect their child is using drugs:- They're withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about their personal grooming.
- They're hostile, uncooperative and frequently break curfews.- Their relationships with family members have deteriorated.***This happens for a wide variety of reasons in a wide variety of children. General developmental issues include increased autonomy, but can be exacerbated by secret family tensions and underlying mental illness (namely depression).- They're hanging around with a new group of friends.***This is most often a self-estemm issue, or worse, a peer socialization problem. I have seen plenty of drug-free children who hang around with the damnedest people.- Their grades have slipped and school attendance is irregular.***Hmmm..bad schools and depression - classic signs of both problems.- They have lost interest in hobbies, sports and other favorite activities.
- Their eating and sleeping patterns have changed.
- They have a hard time concentrating.***well, depression again. Classic and often serious features.- The eyes are red-rimmed and her nose is runny, but she doesn't have allergies or a cold.***Well, she could be a pothead. How are her grades? (insert yahoo smilie)- Household money has been disappearing.*** Ahh, conduct disorder. Or depressive issues - anger at family members, especially with younger or more impulsive children.- You have found any of the following in your home: pipes, rolling papers, small medicine bottles, eye drops, butane lighters, homemade pipes, or bongs (pipes that use water as a filter) made from soda cans or plastic beverage containers. ***Well, again, duh. Stoner in the house. What I want to seriously point out is that any drug or alcohol use during teenage years is either curiosity - in the case of natual experimentation - or symptomatic of other, usually long-term problems.Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free Dr. ZombieFREEDOM ENDURES
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Comment #2 posted by Frank S World on October 22, 2001 at 18:01:31 PT

propaganda for sure
They'd rather see the kids huffing aerosols or other common household products or stealing their parents booze than smoking a little pot.No one wants to see kids doing any kind of drug, but if they do, wouldn't it make more sense to tell them the truth about the relative harms, so at least they could choose the safest?But nooooo, let's lie and confuse and destroy any credibility, and then when they die huffing or from drinking too much shift the blame elsewhere.And our tax dollars keep this dishonest industry afloat!
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