PARENTS SHOULD NOT PLAY DOWN MARIJUANA'S DANGER, OFFICIALS SAY

WASHINGTON - The nation's drug policy director urged parents Tuesday not to
trivialize the dangers of marijuana to their kids, contending that more
teens are addicted to pot than to alcohol or to all other illegal drugs
combined.

Many parents and children have outdated beliefs about marijuana, said John
Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They
believe marijuana is not addictive, that it's less dangerous than
cigarettes or that it has few long-term health consequences.

In reality, more teens enter rehabilitation centers to treat marijuana
addiction than alcohol or all other illegal drugs combined, Walters said.

"Our effort is to correct the ignorance that is the single biggest obstacle
to protecting our kids," he said. He spoke to announce an advertising
campaign by his office and 17 education, public health, anti-drug and
family advocacy groups.

The national effort will include advertisements on television, radio and
print media, along with ones that will air in NFL stadiums and inside game
programs.

"For too long our nation's teens have been getting the wrong message about
marijuana. Youth popular culture has trivialized the real harm of marijuana
in kids," Walters said.

A common misperception is that smoking marijuana is less dangerous than
smoking a cigarette, said Surgeon General Richard Carmona. But marijuana
contains three to five times more tar and carbon monoxide than a comparable
amount of tobacco, he said. It also affects the brain in ways similar to
cocaine and heroin.

Carmona said that one out of five eighth graders has tried marijuana -
twice as many as who tried it a decade ago.

"Marijuana is not a rite of passage but a dangerous behavior that could
have serious health consequences. Parents must realize that what they tell
their children about drug use makes a difference," Carmona said.