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Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. |
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Newsletter Reprint |
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"No big deal...I only smoke pot" There are many people, from teenagers to baby boomers, who believe that smoking marijuana is no big deal. They consider marijuana to be harmless, a "natural high" with no addictive potential and no negative consequences. But research has shown that marijuana use has the potential to cause problems in a person's daily life both physically and emotionally. Marijuana is by far the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2001, over 12 million Americans aged 12 and older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed. The Teen Assessment Profile survey conducted among students in Madison County in 1998 found that 31.5% of students reported trying marijuana and that 3.6% of the students, or approximately 237 students, reported daily use. According to the Acting Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Dr. Glen Hanson, "the drug can produce a range of adverse physical and emotional effects, and, contrary to what many people believe, it can be addictive". FACT: Regular marijuana users can experience the same serious respiratory problems that smokers do. Marijuana has 50% more tar than tobacco. Marijuana cigarettes are unfiltered and the smoke is inhaled deeply and held in the lungs. FACT: Marijuana use leads to difficulty in concentration, attention to detail and learning new, complex information. It also impairs time perception as well as certain aspects of memory. FACT: A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that municipal workers who used marijuana on and off the job reported more withdrawal behaviors such as leaving work without permission, daydreaming, spending work time on personal matters and shirking tasks, all behaviors which had an adverse effect on productivity and morale. FACT: Since 2000, there has been a 15% increase in hospital emergency room visits related to marijuana use. Marijuana use has adverse consequences just like alcohol or other drugs. A student's ability to learn is impacted, an employee's ability to concentrate or operate machinery is impaired, and a motorist’s ability to navigate a busy road is compromised. Marijuana use can affect an individual’s health and safety at home, at work, at school, and on the road, so, in fact, marijuana use is a big deal. |
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Sitemap • Home • Terms of Use • User Survey BRiDGES • 3059 Seneca Turnpike, Suite E Canastota, NY 13032 • (315) 697-3947 ©2003 Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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