HO-HUM ATTITUDE TOWARD POT HAS MORE TEENS LIGHTING UP

Given the amped up push to legalize pot, it was no surprise to many
of us that a recent study shows marijuana use has spiked among
teenagers. But it is interesting to hear the perspective from an
expert in drug addiction as to why more and more teens are lighting
up a joint, and why this may be a trend that continues to climb. So
give Dr. Kaufman's viewpoint a read and tell me what you think at
nbrochu@sun-sentinel.com. -- Nicole Brochu

By Dr. Joel Kaufman

Increased marijuana use among teenagers across the country, as
reported recently by the National Institute on Drug Abuse "Monitoring
the Future" survey, is no surprise to those of us who deal with teen
drug abuse and addiction on a daily basis.

As CEO of The Starting Place, a nonprofit that helps addicted teens,
we see that marijuana far outranks other substances as the drug of
choice among Broward County teenagers. This is backed by facts
reported by many treatment facilities statewide. Stats point out that
marijuana remains the primary drug of admission at publicly funded
treatment centers, and that young men report marijuana as their
preferred substance of abuse while young women report marijuana among
their top three drugs of choice. Plus, the primary substance of abuse
among all young adults under 25 admitted to treatment centers in
South Florida is marijuana.

The larger question is why marijuana use has increased among our
teenagers. First, I believe the social norm is changing nationwide as
attitudes and behaviors concerning marijuana become less hard line
and more tolerant and accepting. Marijuana as well as other drugs are
becoming more and more accessible in schools and in the community for
youth. Also, parents of teens who grew up in a different generation
with a "different marijuana," one that was considerably less potent
with much lower THC levels, do not see the danger and addictive
nature of the current marijuana. Both parents and teens do not
understand the impact that marijuana use can have on the developing
young brain.

Plus, the movement toward the passage of medical marijuana laws
nationwide has had an impact on teenage use and teenage perceptions
of marijuana. In fact, data shows that in almost every state that has
passed a medical marijuana law, youth have increased the frequency of
marijuana use in the past 30 days while their perceptions of the
harmfulness of marijuana have decreased.

What makes this even more alarming is that research shows the earlier
a person starts to use drugs, the greater likelihood he or she will
have a substance abuse problem in adulthood, does not bode well for
the coming generation of adults. At present, according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse study, one third of seniors and one
fourth of sophomores reported smoking marijuana in the last year.
That's a huge percentage of our future leaders who potentially could
have adult substance abuse issues.

In my mind, this is unacceptable. We need to address the issue now by
education, prevention strategies, treatment and more support in our
community for youth who do not want to use as well as those
recovering from use and turn back the tide of rising marijuana use.
Our future, and the futures of our kids, depend on it.

Dr. Joel Kaufman is the CEO of The Starting Place, which offers
education, treatment and support services related to substance abuse,
mental health and co-occurring disorders to teenagers and their
families. Kaufman is an experienced psychologist and administrator
with more than 30 years of experience in the mental health and
substance use/abuse fields.