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Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
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New Studies Reveal Teenagers are Drinking Less, and Using Marijuana More
2011 brought some interesting news from American teens. Daily cigarette smoking and binge drinking among American teenagers declined over the past year, but pot smoking and the abuse of prescription drugs remain a problem.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the survey findings which found that daily cigarette use has continued to drop in the past year: 2% of 8th graders, 6% of 10th graders, and 10% of 12th graders reported daily smoking.
Alcohol use and binge drinking rates also dropped significantly in teens over the last 5 years.
What we swapped this for was an increase in the use of marijuana among teens which climbed in 2011 for the fourth straight year. In 2011, 12% of 8th graders, 29% of 10th graders, and 36% of 12th graders reported past-year use of marijuana. In the past 5-years there have been increases in daily, current, and past-year marijuana use by 10th and 12th graders.
These increases are believed to be because of the decline in the perceived risk associated with marijuana use.
“Spice” or K2, a synthetic marijuana, was also more common among high school seniors. Just this year the DEA deemed many of the chemicals used in K2 as unsafe, and at least 18 states have banned synthetic marijuana.
The tragedy of 2011 is that prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications account for most of the drugs abused by 12th grade students in the past year. Levels of OxyContin, amphetamine (Adderall, etc.) and Vicodin abuse increased. With good news, comes some bad news.
Thoughts?
Dr O.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the survey findings which found that daily cigarette use has continued to drop in the past year: 2% of 8th graders, 6% of 10th graders, and 10% of 12th graders reported daily smoking.
Alcohol use and binge drinking rates also dropped significantly in teens over the last 5 years.
What we swapped this for was an increase in the use of marijuana among teens which climbed in 2011 for the fourth straight year. In 2011, 12% of 8th graders, 29% of 10th graders, and 36% of 12th graders reported past-year use of marijuana. In the past 5-years there have been increases in daily, current, and past-year marijuana use by 10th and 12th graders.
These increases are believed to be because of the decline in the perceived risk associated with marijuana use.
“Spice” or K2, a synthetic marijuana, was also more common among high school seniors. Just this year the DEA deemed many of the chemicals used in K2 as unsafe, and at least 18 states have banned synthetic marijuana.
The tragedy of 2011 is that prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications account for most of the drugs abused by 12th grade students in the past year. Levels of OxyContin, amphetamine (Adderall, etc.) and Vicodin abuse increased. With good news, comes some bad news.
Thoughts?
Dr O.
RELATED POSTS
He has been in trouble both at school and with the Police. School trouble started his Fresh year getting got smoking pot on campus.
Posted on 10/28/11 02:28:11 pm
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What is your point exactly? All these things can be said of people who use illegal drugs and I am speaking from personal experience.
I admit there are some negatives aspects to marijuana. It is, like many drugs, habit-forming. There are certain risks people are willing to take when drugs are clouding their judgement (this is of course true of any controlled substance). It does cause some functional impairment while under the influence. Short-term memory is compromised if it's used regularly. It can cause mood swings and paranoia, which can complicate any existing mental health conditions.
Consider that alcohol IS physically and psychologically addictive, poisonous, can cause long-term liver damage resulting in death, and drunk driving still claims millions of lives. I still find marijuana to be a preferable alternative to booze.
But we didn't do alcohol or illegal drugs. Most of us went on to college, and we survived. Why can't today's kids do the same?
We cannot make the alcohol non poisonous or a non carcinogen. We can however change the laws which for now are the single most dangerous issue with marijuanna use.