Transcript Marijuana - New Hampshire Wing, Civil Air Patrol | United

The Risks of Marijuana
Captain Scott E. Murphy CAP
Dakota Ridge Composite Squadron
Why focus on marijuana?
• Most widely used illicit drug among youth
• Challenges to seeing the risks:
• Normalization in popular culture
• Medical marijuana & legalization
efforts
• Widespread ambivalence,
misinformation among youth and
parents
TRUE or FALSE?
Marijuana is not all that
harmful.
False
TRUE or FALSE?
Marijuana, unlike some other
illegal drugs, is not addictive.
False
TRUE or FALSE?
Kids are more likely than adults
to become dependent on
marijuana.
True
TRUE or FALSE?
Marijuana is less popular among
kids today because
of ecstasy and other new
club drugs.
False
TRUE or FALSE?
Smoking pot only makes people
feel mellow.
False
TRUE or FALSE?
Marijuana does not have any
long-term effects.
False
Smoking one marijuana joint is
as harmful as smoking how
many cigarettes?
 FIVE?
 FOUR?
 TWO?
 ONE?
Smoking
one marijuana joint
is equal to smoking
FIVE cigarettes.
What percentage of 12th
graders in Washington say
that marijuana is “sort of”
easy or “very” easy to obtain?
 27%
 39%
 52%
 74%
74% of high school seniors
find marijuana “fairly” or “very” easy
to obtain.
More than one-third of teens ages
14 - 17 say they could purchase
marijuana within a five-block radius
from their house.*
The majority of kids who enter
drug treatment are there for
addiction to:
• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Ecstasy
• Marijuana
• Alcohol
More teens enter treatment
for marijuana use each year
than for
all other illicit drugs
combined.
SAMHSA, TEDS, 2001
A marijuana joint can contain:
• PCP
• LSD
• Pesticides
• Cocaine or Crack
• All of the above
All of the chemicals listed:
PCP, pesticides, LSD,
cocaine and crack can be
added to marijuana leaves
without users knowing it.
What percentage of Washington
12th graders believe there is no
risk or
only a slight risk to smoking
marijuana occasionally?
• 23%
• 33%
• 40%
• 66%
40% of 12th graders
surveyed in Washington
think occasional marijuana
use is not harmful.
Marijuana use has been
associated with:
•
•
•
•
Cancer
School Failure
Traffic accidents
Sexually transmitted
diseases
• All of the above
Marijuana use has been
associated with cancer,
school failure, traffic
accidents and sexually
transmitted diseases,
including HIV/AIDS.
What happens when a person
uses marijuana, other than feeling
high?
•
•
•
•
Loss of motor coordination
Distorted perception
Increased heart rate
Trouble with thinking &
problem solving
• All of the above
A person who uses marijuana
experiences all these effects.
The effects are even greater
when other drugs are mixed
with marijuana.
How long does marijuana stay
in the body?
•
•
•
•
Up to 3 days
Up to 10 days
Up to a few weeks
Up to several months
Even after users stop feeling
the effects of marijuana, the drug
can linger in the body
for a few weeks.
That means it can be detected by a
standard drug test long after its initial
use.
According to kids ages 13-17, what’s the
#1 reason they do
NOT smoke marijuana or use
other drugs?
• Risk of getting kicked off a sports team
• Losing their parent’s respect
• Worry they’ll look silly or stupid in front of
their friends
• Concern about being suspended from
school
Parents are the most important
influence on children when it comes to
drugs.
Two-thirds of youth say losing their
parents’ respect is one of
the main reasons they don’t
smoke marijuana or use other drugs.
Free Resources and Materials can
be ordered through:
• www.TheAntiDrug.com
• www.mediacampaign.org
• National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information @
800-788-2800