Marijuana use is more harmful than teens think

Regardless of the softening of attitudes toward marijuana here in Oregon and around the nation, there are risks and harm associated with marijuana use by teens. We need to be informed about the facts and share those facts with our youth.

It is a myth to believe that marijuana is harmless and not addictive. One in six teens who start using marijuana becomes addicted. In Sisters, 41 percent of 11th and 12th graders reported having tried marijuana (2010-2011 Sisters High School Survey). This SHSS revealed that 64 percent of Sisters' 11th and 12th graders reported that at least one of their closest friends uses marijuana at least once a month. After alcohol, marijuana has the highest rate of dependence or abuse among all drugs (2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health NSDUH).

Some say that marijuana as a "gateway drug" is a myth; others insist it is a fact.

The truth is that there is a link.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), "Long-term studies of drug use patterns show that very few high school students use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana" (www.drugabuse.gov, "Marijuana Facts: Want to Know More?").

Since marijuana has an effect on thinking and decision-making, a person under its influence may also be more likely to succumb to peer pressure when offered other drugs or alcohol.

According to the SHSS, 71 percent of Sisters students surveyed believe that marijuana use may lead a person to further drug use.

The 2010 NSDUH survey seems to support this belief as it reports that more than half of new illicit drug users begin with marijuana.

Marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, and difficulty thinking (NIDA Marijuana Facts). The risk of car accidents is doubled when driving under the influence of marijuana. One in five (19 percent) teen drivers reports that they have driven under the influence of marijuana, according to a 2012 teen driving study by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD. Sixteen percent of Sisters students surveyed reported that they have driven under the influence of marijuana. Even more disturbing is the data that shows 46 percent of these students admitted to being a passenger in a car driven by someone who has just smoked marijuana.

Marijuana has a negative effect on brain development, particularly in adolescents. The Dunedin Study in New Zealand showed that those who smoked marijuana heavily as teenagers (meaning at least once a week) and who continued to smoke into adulthood showed an average eight point drop in their IQ by age 38 (Meier et al, 2012).

Another obvious but often-overlooked effect of marijuana use is the risk of damage to the lungs. Marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections (www.drugabuse.gov). NIDA reports that marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogens than tobacco smoke.

The changing laws around the nation regarding marijuana contribute to teens no longer seeing risk associated with this drug. In Massachusetts, where decriminalization legislation has been passed, 60% of teens once believed that marijuana was harmful. Two years later, only 49% of teens believed that marijuana was harmful. In the 2010-2011 SHSS, only 60% of 11th and 12th graders think that smoking marijuana is wrong.

It is important for parents to talk to their teens about drugs. Contrary to what we might think, parental disapproval of drug and alcohol use is one of the primary factors which prevent youth from using alcohol and drugs. Let's increase our efforts to communicate to our youth the harmful effects of marijuana.

The Deschutes County Children and Families Commission recently recommended a webcast that features experts "Debunking Marijuana Myths." The webcast can be viewed online at https://mctft.icfwebservices.com/webcasts/w.aspx?ID=633. Additional print resources can be found online at www.deschutes.org/marijuanafacts.

Rob Meeter is Sisters community schools coordinator.