ADDICTION TO DRUGS, ALCOHOL NEEDS TO BE OVERCOME

Addictions Awareness Week, which runs Nov. 17 to 22, is probably one
of the most crucial campaigns to get people off drugs and alcohol and
back on a path which will be free of these detrimental substances.

The focus of this year's campaign is marijuana. Perceived as a
relatively harmless drug, one only needs to speak with addicts to find
out more about how harmful it can be.

Each year, more teens enter treatment for marijuana abuse each year
than for all other illicit drugs combined. As well, marijuana is the
most widely used illicit drug among youth today, and it is more potent
than ever.

The other side of using marijuana is the production end of it.

Not many people consider how violent the industry is. In recent years,
the U.S. government has become increasingly concerned with the growing
marijuana trade in Mexico, and the head of the Drug Enforcement
Administration feels that Mexico could become the next Colombia in
terms of corruption and violence. Already, those who have been forced
into the trade are referring to the "Colombianization" of their country.

One of the scariest similiarities between Colombia and Mexico is the
increasing violence, which has seen some of the bloodiest massacres in
Mexico have involved marijuana, not harder drugs.

However, it isn't just the producers who are suffering from
violence.

In a study of more than 1,000 inner-city youth, those who admitted
monthly or more use of marijuana in their early adolescent years
reported greater frequency of using weapons and perpetrating violence.
As well, each year in the United States, drunk and drugged driving
accounts for more than 16,000 deaths, one million injuries, and $45
billion in costs to society.

There is a lot of stuff to know about marijuana. The Office of
National Drug Control Policy at the White House in Washington, D.C.
has an 18-page list of street names for marijuana alone.

There are a wide range of resources for parents when it comes to
talking with their kids about drugs. There are also many resources for
teens, too.

Web sites such as www.drugfreeamerica.org and www.theantidrug.com
offer a wide range of information on all types of drugs, how they are
used, what they look like and what the short and long term effects
are.

Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol, or check out the following
Web sites for more information. www.cato.org. www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
www.health.org