PARENTAL CONCERN: WEAPON IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

The United States is in the middle of a drug problem of national
proportions, especially among our young people. Of the many illegal drugs
available, marijuana is nearly always the first drug used by children and
teen-agers. Since 1991, lifetime marijuana use has doubled among eighth and
tenth grade students, and has increased by a third among high school seniors.

No parent can afford to underestimate the incredible peer influence to use
marijuana. Studies show that along with the increase in marijuana use,
there has been a significant decline in anti-drug perceptions and lack of
drug knowledge among young people today.

Furthermore, the number of young people who view marijuana as harmful also
has decreased.

These changes in perception and knowledge may be due to a decrease in
anti-drug messages in the media, an increase in pro-drug messages through
the popular culture, and a lack of awareness among parents about the
resurgence in marijuana use.

Marijuana is not a single substance; it contains over 400 different
chemicals and compounds. Among these is a unique group called cannabinoids.
All forms of cannabinoids are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs. The best
known compound in this group is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly
called delta-9-THC-or THC. It is the THC compound that is the primary
mind-altering compound in marijuana. Marijuana's effect on the user depends
on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. What most parents do not
know is that THC potency has increased since the 1970s. Most street
marijuana contains, on average, 3 percent THC.

Marijuana has negative physical and mental effects. Use of marijuana may
impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time, and reduce ability
to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving
a car.

Children and teen-agers start using marijuana for many reasons. Curiosity
and the desire to fit into a social group are among the most common.
Children and teen-agers who already have begun to smoke cigarettes and/or
use alcohol are at high risk for marijuana use.

There is no magic bullet for preventing children and teen-agers from using
marijuana. However, parents can be influential by remaining actively
engaged in their children's lives and talking to their children about the
dangers of using marijuana. Even after children enter high school, par ents
should stay involved with their children's social activities. Research
shows that appropriate parental monitoring can reduce future drug use.

Remember that parents, grandparents and older siblings in the home are all
role models for children. To find out more about marijuana, please call the
NorthKey Regional Prevention Center at 1-800-432-9337 or 859-283-0952. We
are dedicated to alcohol, tobacco and other drug education and prevention
in Northern Kentucky.