PROTECT KIDS

Amid the political hot air expended on the issue of decriminalizing
marijuana blows the wind of reality: Legal or illegal, anything more than
rare use of the drug can have consequences for youth.

At a forum on mental health last week, experts described the downside of
drug use by adolescents who are still developing socially, emotionally and
physically.

Like alcohol, marijuana use can arrest development: Youth who use marijuana
to mask or avoid problems fail to gain the skills that come by
acknowledging and overcoming life's challenges. As a consequence, they are
immature compared to their peers, which adds more problems. And this is the
least of the potential problems.

According to authoritative studies, marijuana use is soaring among
adolescents - 25 per cent of high school students admitted to toking in
1992; six years later the number was 40 per cent. Age of first usage has
also dropped: It starts in Grade 8 for most.

These statistics are clear evidence that something is seriously wrong and
the mental health community is also clear what it is: deleterious effects
of marijuana use by adolescents.

What is not clear is whether Canadian politicians and lawmakers have any
concern about the impact of polices and rulings on our most vulnerable
citizens.

Decriminalizing marijuana may take a load off the justice system but it
will also fuel the growing acceptance of the drug by children and does
nothing to reduce their access to it.

Canadians must be blunt and realistic dealing with the issue of marijuana
and make the objective keeping the substance out of the hands of children.
Prohibition didn't work, decriminalizing doesn't work and dithering isn't
working.

Politicians must stop being distracted by adults whining about their rights
to access dope and deal with the real problem of keeping it out of the
hands of children.