PARENTS KEY IN LOWERING TEEN MARIJUANA USE

Teen marijuana use is a trend that appears to be spreading across the
country, and according to Ontario County Undersheriff David Tillman,
is also taking hold locally.

According to a national survey conducted by the University of
Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in every 15
high school seniors reported smoking marijuana on a daily or
near-daily basis, the highest rate since 1981. And locally, studies
by Evalumetrics Research of Ontario County schools have shown a
"slight increase in marijuana use among kids," says consultant Rob Lillis.

It's not that surprising more teens are showing less concern about
the possible risks of pot.

Ontario County Sheriff's Deputy John Peck, also a school resource
officer at Marcus Whitman, points to several reasons for the trend --
everything from relatively easy accessibility to the drug to an
increased number of students using so-called synthetic marijuana.
Perhaps most telling, he says increased usage can partially be
attributed to a change in the perception of risks associated with marijuana.

Indeed, pop culture often portrays smoking marijuana more as a fun
social activity than what it actually is: a drug. And the movement in
the country to consider legalization of marijuana has been gaining
steam in recent years, including in New York.

So how we reverse this troubling trend?

It starts with parents. If they take as casual an approach to
marijuana use as pop culture, they will likely pass that attitude to
their children, overlooking the consequences habitual use of pot by
young people.

After all, while pot's dangers may not rise to the level of cocaine,
heroin or even prescription drugs like oxycontin, research has linked
its use to respiratory problems and immune system impairment, among
other health effects.

As with alcohol, behavior impairment -- including distorted
perception, memory loss and loss of coordination -- might be the most
significant side effects. And along with an increase in teen
marijuana use, Tillman says, there has also been a spike in arrests
locally for driving while under the influence of marijuana -- a crime
that has potential to hurt many more than the user.