by Jacqueline Longo, April 19, 2016
Program Coordinator, Youth Leadership
The Governor's Prevention Partnership
"Wednesday is April 20, or 4/20, for some a counter culture holiday dedicated to marijuana use. Advocates of marijuana use and legalization will bombard our young people on social media with misinformation and imagery glorifying its use, furthering the misconception that marijuana is harmless and widely used. We suggest you use it as an opportunity to combat those myths. The reality is that most high schoolers do not use marijuana: the 2013 CT Youth Risk Behavior Survey data shows us that 74% of high school aged youth have NOT smoked marijuana in the last 30 days and 58% of those surveyed have NEVER tried it. Marijuana is very harmful to the developing brain, with a tremendous body of research to back that up. There are many myths surrounding marijuana use by youth that can be shattered if we work together and spread the truth.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse has worked to combat the myths surrounding alcohol and marijuana use. Click here for a list of myths and facts about marijuana use and use this information to change the perception in our society: not everyone uses marijuana. Spread your own positive message across social media, provide tools for parents, and suggest healthy alternatives to using marijuana. Let’s take back 4/20!
View additional resources to speak with youth about the dangers of substance abuse.
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