PARENTS NEED TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT DRUG USE

A nationwide effort is now underway to warn parents against trivializing
the dangers of marijuana to their kids.

Many parents and children have outdated perceptions about marijuana, John
Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told the
Associated Press for a story.

Walters told the Associated Press that many parents and teens believe
marijuana is not addictive, that it's less dangerous than cigarettes, or
that it has few long-term health consequences.

Local agencies and law enforcement officers who deal with juveniles will
tell you that marijuana use among teen-agers is on the rise, poses some
serious health problems and that its use shouldn't be trivialized.

Walters' agency is working to correct misconceptions about marijuana use.

The national effort will include advertisements on television, radio and
print media, along with ones that will air in National Football League
stadiums and inside game programs, Walters told the Associated Press.

National statistics show that one out of five eighth-graders has tried
marijuana, twice as many who tried it a decade ago.

We are fortunate to have a number of good local agencies and law
enforcement programs that deal with alcohol and drug use by teen-agers and
warn them of the dangers.

The D.A.R.E. program in Spring Lake and Grand Haven, and the S.A.V.E.
program through the Grand Haven Area Public Schools are two examples of the
local effort to warn youngsters about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.

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

Just as important is the effort to educate parents about the dangers of
marijuana so that they can talk to their kids.