Last summer, tragedy rocked a close-knit southern Indiana community when a high school student shot and killed a police officer before turning the gun on himself. In response to this incident - and the fact that the teenager who committed these acts was facing marijuana possession charges - the decision was made to implement drug testing in the town's high schools. The proposal has been met with opposition by students and parents.

"When classes begin in August, parents will be offered free take-home drug testing kits through the school, and not surprisingly, students are overwhelmingly opposed. But students aren't the only critics of the bold measure, which some parents believe is not only excessive, but also misguided."

The concern is that students will be so fearful of punishment that they won't admit to having drug-related problems, nor will they seek help. Instead, parents would prefer that the schools focus on education and prevention. Source: Louisville (Kentucky) Eccentric Observer

Labels: drug_testing, high_school, marijuana

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offered the first-ever Drug Facts Chat Day. Teens were invited to submit anonymous questions about anything related to drugs and alcohol. The questions were received and answered by some of the top substance abuse experts in the nation.

"[Q] What are the long term effects of smoking pot [A] There are many long-term effects of smoking marijuana. The use of marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional and behavioral changes, and, contrary to popular belief, it can be addictive. Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, can harm the lungs. The use of marijuana can impair short-term memory, verbal skills, and judgment, and also distort perception..."

Other questions included, "Why is marijuana a gateway drug?," "Have most teens used marijuana in their life?," and "Can you die from weed?" Source: U.S. News and World Report

Labels: marijuana, questions, substance_abuse

A White House report being released today says teens that use marijuana regularly are at risk not only of developing a dependency but of developing a mental illness. The report summarizes information from several studies on marijuana use among teenagers.

"...using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers..."

Marijuana use among teens has decreased by 25% since 2001, which is encouraging. But the millions of kids who are still using need to know the dangers associated with it. Source: NBC25, Michigan

Labels: dependeny, marijuana, substance_abuse