cannabisnews.com: Teens Say Buying Marijuana Is Easy





Teens Say Buying Marijuana Is Easy
Posted by CN Staff on August 20, 2002 at 13:40:31 PT
By Greg Toppo, AP Education Writer
Source: Associated Press
Teenagers say marijuana is easier to buy than cigarettes or beer -- one in three say they can find it in a matter of hours -- but only 25 percent admit trying it, a national survey finds. When the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse polled 1,000 teens last winter, 27 percent said they could buy marijuana in an hour or less; another 8 percent said it would take a few hours. But for the first time since the study began in 1996, marijuana edged out cigarettes and beer as the easiest drug for teenagers to buy. 
The annual survey didn't specify whether drugs are easy or difficult to buy at school, but 63 percent of students said their schools are "drug-free," nearly double the number who said the same in 1998. It's the highest percentage since 1996. While many have criticized nationally used anti-drug programs such as D.A.R.E., educators said years of using such programs seem to be paying off. "I think we're starting to see the fruition of some of those programs," said Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He said student drug use has been dropping for the past four or five years as communities began financing anti-drug programs. "There has been a sense that the drug problem, while not solved, has been improving," he said. More than half of students said they don't drink alcohol in a typical week, and about as many said they have never had a drink. While one in four pupils said at least one parent smokes cigarettes, 69 percent said they have never smoked. Joel Willen, principal of Pershing Middle School in Houston, said teachers and administrators are seeing less drug activity at school. "I think the kids are not bringing whatever it is they're doing, if they're doing it, to school," he said. Pershing's drug-prevention programs are paired with a get-tough policy on drugs that includes twice-yearly, random locker and backpack searches by drug-sniffing dogs, Willen said. Students caught using or selling drugs can be sent to an alternative school or even expelled. "They know we take a real hard line on drugs," he said. The survey also found that: * 8 percent of students believe there's a teacher at their school who uses illegal drugs. * 25 percent said they have seen illegal drugs being sold at school. * 55 percent said they'd report someone they saw using drugs at school. * 56 percent said they'd report someone they saw selling drugs at school, the highest level since 1996. * 24 percent said drugs are "the most important problem facing people your age," highest among several problems such as crime, peer pressure, sexuality and the environment. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, based at Columbia University, polls teenagers on drug use and the presence of drugs in schools. This year's random telephone survey of students age 12-17 was conducted Dec. 27, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002, by QEV Analytics. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent age points. An accompanying survey of parents found them equally divided on their children's drug habits: 44 percent said it's "not very likely" their child will ever try illegal drugs, but 43 percent it's "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that their kids will try them. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that, by the time they complete high school, 47 percent of teenagers have smoked marijuana, 24 percent have used another illicit drug and 81 percent have drunk alcohol. The agency also estimates that 70 percent have smoked cigarettes. * __ On the Net: National Center: http://www.casacolumbia.org Source: Associated Press Author: Greg Toppo, AP Education WriterPublished: August 20, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles:Survey: Teens Say Marijuana Easy To Gethttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13814.shtmlMajority of Teens Say Their School is Drug-Free http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13813.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by kanabys on August 21, 2002 at 06:55:15 PT
But.....
what will result from this supposed "decline in drug use"?
will they fund even stricter programs? Like, more random testing, more dog use, etc etc? Or will they pull funds saying they are not needed, now that drug use is down? What effects will this have? Anyone care to guess???
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Comment #8 posted by mayan on August 20, 2002 at 18:30:26 PT
another one...
Foreign Firms Charged With Disposing of WTC Evidence:
http://www.americanfreepress.net/08_16_02/Foreign_Firms_Charged_/foreign_firms_charged_.html
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on August 20, 2002 at 15:54:35 PT
Margin of Error
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, based at Columbia University, polls teenagers on drug use and the presence of drugs in schools. This year's random telephone survey of students age 12-17 was conducted Dec. 27, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002, by QEV Analytics. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. If somebody I didn't know called me when I was in high school & asked if I did drugs I would've said, "no"
and then hung up & smoked a big fatty! The margin of error in this poll should be 31 percentage points.unrelated -White House uses FBI to intimidate congressional probe of September 11:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/aug2002/fbi-a19.shtmlNEA delivers history lesson: 
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020819-34549100.htmGuerrilla of the Week:
http://www.guerrillanews.com/intelligence/doc672.htmlTHE VIDEO THAT PROVES 9-11 WAS NOT A SURPRISE: 
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/schoolvideo.htmlCNN chief claims US media 'censored' war:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/News.View.aspx?ContentID=1162
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Comment #6 posted by VitaminT on August 20, 2002 at 15:27:41 PT
Methinks CASA doth speak
with forked tongue!It's now easier for kids to get pot than even the most ubiquitous legal substances - (warning spin starts now) - . . . student drug use has been dropping for the past four or five years as communities began financing anti-drug programs. "There has been a sense that the drug problem, while not solved, has been improving,"but what do you expect from Joe Califano's brainbust (I mean trust)
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Comment #5 posted by AlvinCool on August 20, 2002 at 14:57:34 PT
So what will teens learn from this?
Hey teens are smart and adapt quickly. From this teens that do use drugs will learn that if they lie and say they don't the government will get off their backs. Then they can do anything they want. Let me get my swami ball out and make a prediction.I predict that teen drug use, by poll, will go down while availability will go up and the price will plummet.I predict the government will declare a victory!Any takers?
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Comment #4 posted by Darwin on August 20, 2002 at 14:31:12 PT
Payoff?
"I think we're starting to see the fruition of some of those programs," said Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. I would like to see who pays this man's salary.Thanks FoM. My family has a strange dynamic that way. A devout catholic mother, an alcoholic redneck ex-teacher for a father. They have come around to understand my point of view in the last few years. It took subtle political hints over a period of time for them to see the hypocrisy, as well as an understanding relative undergoing chemotherapy. I think I've even turned them into third party voters.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 20, 2002 at 14:09:18 PT
Darwin
That's ok and I like what you said about the T-Shirts. 
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Comment #2 posted by darwin on August 20, 2002 at 14:06:12 PT
oops
Please disregard everything above the italics in my previous post. I don't know why it copied all of that, I just wanted the one line.
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Comment #1 posted by Darwin on August 20, 2002 at 14:04:40 PT
Paying off who?
 Teens Say Buying Marijuana Is Easy 
Posted by CN Staff on August 20, 2002 at 13:40:31 PT
By Greg Toppo, AP Education Writer 
Source: Associated Press Teenagers say marijuana is easier to buy than cigarettes or beer -- one in three say they can find it in a matter of hours -- but only 25 percent admit trying it, a national survey finds. 
When the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse polled 1,000 teens last winter, 27 percent said they could buy marijuana in an hour or less; another 8 percent said it would take a few hours. But for the first time since the study began in 1996, marijuana edged out cigarettes and beer as the easiest drug for teenagers to buy. The annual survey didn't specify whether drugs are easy or difficult to buy at school, but 63 percent of students said their schools are "drug-free," nearly double the number who said the same in 1998. It's the highest percentage since 1996. While many have criticized nationally used anti-drug programs such as D.A.R.E., educators said years of using such programs seem to be paying off.All the teachers get cute little handbags, shirts, coffeemugs, you name it. My father was a teacher and always brought home all their promo goods. Plus, every time DARE comes to their class, they get time off to catch a smoke in their car (since they no longer allow teachers to smoke on school properties). Who...I mean how, is DARE paying off?
Its fun when we get togethor and I have a NORML shirt and he has a DARE shirt (he never agreed with DARE, but he loves the free goods and thinks the shirt is funny to wear around us "smokers"). 
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