STUDIES SHOW MARIJUANA IS TEENS' DRUG OF CHOICE

Recent studies show that marijuana use amongst teens is on the
decline, yet it is still in widespread use and their number-one drug
of choice.

A report released in May by the White House Office of National Drug
Policy states that although marijuana use among teens has dropped by
25 percent since 2001, more teens use marijuana than all other illicit
drugs combined. The study also states that teens are using marijuana
to "self-medicate" to deal with de-pression, thus furthering and
worsening the depression.

Prolonged use can lead to schizophrenia, anxiety and even suicide,
according to the report.

"Depressed teens are also al-most twice as likely to have used illicit
drugs as non-depressed teens," the study states. "They are also more
than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on
marijuana."

The full report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of
Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse," may
be read at
http://www.theantidrug.com/pdfs/teen-marijuana-depression-report.pdf

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's (SAMHSA) 2008 "Monitoring the Future" survey,
marijuana use by 10th- and 12th-graders remained steady, but use by
eighth-graders fell from 11.7 percent in 2006 to 10.3 percent in 2007,
and is down from its 1996 peak of 18.3 percent.

"In the past decade, there has been a slow downward trend in overall
illicit drug use driven by gradual declines in marijuana smoking," the
survey states.

The survey, which may be viewed at www.drugabuse.gov/Drugpages/MTF.html,
showed, however, that the abuse of prescription drugs amongst teens
remains high.

In March 2007, seven teens -- one of them from Bridgeport and the
other six Staples High School students -- were arrested at Staples
High School for possession of marijuana. A few days later, the Board
of Education held a discussion on the incident.

Contrary to the SAMHSA survey, William F. Mecca Jr., a licensed social
worker and substance abuse counselor from Westport, said that
marijuana use amongst teens is on the rise.

He said that, while the 12-step method is "vital and effective" in
treating drug addicts, two studies by SAMHSA's Center for Substance
Abuse Treatment (CSAT) -- the Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) Study and
Marijuana Treatment Project -- have shown that brief treatment
approaches may be more effective for marijuana users.

"Two separate studies showed that these brief interventions were
either just as effective or more than traditional group counseling,
counseling lasting longer than 10 sessions or counseling that
emphasized family therapy interventions," he said. "These brief
treatment models were designed to provide an individualized approach
to users who may be denial of having a problem, but experience outside
circumstances such as legal, work, school or family relationships that
force them into treatment."

CSAT has developed a five-session treatment for adolescent users
called "Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Cogni-tive Behavioral
Therapy for Adolescent Cannabis Users" and, for adults, "brief
marijuana dependence counseling," which lasts 10 sessions.

"Each treatment model incorporates elements of motivation enhancement
therapy designed to engage the user in considering quitting for a
period of time instead of forcing the concept of life-long abstinence
from the beginning," Mecca said. "As a result, the user is more
inclined to accept treatment that then provides the skills to
successfully achieve the quitting experience. Thus, the community
should know that there are efficient and effective options for
individ-uals seeking treatment right in their own backyard."

SAMHSA's report on the CYT Study states, however, that, two-thirds of
teens were experiencing "substance use or other related problems" 12
months after the five-session treatment.

"Thus, while the CYT interventions were relatively effective as
initial interventions, they were not enough to interrupt all future
substance abuse and problems for many adolescents," the report states.

Bob Vietro, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and clinical
director at Westport's Positive Directions, said short-term
interventions have shown, however, to be "successful" in treating
marijuana abuse amongst teens.

"It depends upon what you call success," he said, adding that such
treatment may cause the person to look at his or her use. "In five
sessions, you can do a lot, which could lead to immediate cessation or
getting help. You have to be careful of how you define success."

Jennifer Robin Lee, M.D., a staff psychiatrist at Hall-Brooke
Hospital, said the two methods offer "totally reasonable" approaches
to treating marijuana abuse.

"Nowadays, there's many different ways to skin a cat," she said. "It's
good to know about these programs."