Teenagers tend to abuse marijuana more often if they live in a state where it is legal for medical use. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), ten of the 15 states with the highest percentage of teenagers who admit to smoking marijuana within the last 30 days are states where marijuana is legal.

• Marijuana is the most widely abused illicit drug.
• A national survey by the Department of Health and Human Resources found that 60 percent of the seven million Americans who use illegal drugs abuse marijuana.
• The use of marijuana keeps increasing among teenagers, even as their cigarette use decreases, according to a 2009 NIDA study.

Many experts believe that more teenagers are abusing prescription drugs because they think these drugs are safer than street drugs. If marijuana is legalized as a prescription drug, teenagers may believe it is safe to use, too.

Some studies have shown that the human brain does not completely develop until after age 21, and that the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in adolescence may cause permanent brain damage.

Labels: marijuana, medical marijuana, legal drugs

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

The teenager that once openly shared the details of his life, now takes to locking his bedroom door. He begins sleeping in late and goes about the house with a glazed look. There are suddenly new friends on the scene but you don't know their names or their numbers. Read more online.

Labels: alcohol, prescription drugs, legal drugs

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph A. Califano has released a new book titled High Society. In it, he states that fundamental changes need to occur in the ways that we think about and deal with substance abuse and addiction.

"The problem can be addressed only by a revolution in the nation's criminal justice, medical, educational and social service systems, as well as foreign-policy priorities, Califano says."

He also believes that parents must realize how much influence they can really have over their children's decisions regarding drugs and alcohol. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University estimates that alcohol use, abuse and addiction cost $313 million annually, and that doesn't include any illegal drugs. Read more at TheAdvertiser.com.

Labels: alcohol, legal drugs, cost_of_addiction

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