Program Coordinator, Youth Leadership
The Governor's Prevention Partnership
We hear quite often from youth and parents that they believe marijuana is not addictive. This is a misconception as research has proven that marijuana is a highly addictive drug with the chances of addiction increasing with earlier use. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that individuals who use marijuana before the age of 18 are 4-7 times more likely to become addicted as they enter adulthood. “It is estimated that about 1 in 6 people who start using as a teen…become addicted to marijuana.” Since the brain is not fully developed until the mid-20s, teens have a higher risk of addiction with marijuana affecting memory, emotion control, coordination, and other necessary brain functions. With marijuana being the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States and with the high possibility of addiction, it is important to educate our young people on the risks of marijuana use.
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additional resources for parents to speak with youth about the dangers of
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Parenting for Prevention Tips:
- Start talking: Kids who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50% less likely to use.
- Keep the conversation going: You may think your child isn’t listening, but they hear you!
- Set firm limits and have a clear no use policy: Let your child know that you disapprove of any drug or alcohol use.
Early use of marijuana can certainly lead to the use of other illicit drugs as well. Many adults find themselves living as high-functioning addicts because they starting using marijuana at a young age.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your parenting tips about this kind of addiction. There will always be a good benefit for having this kind of information since it will give us a lot of information and ideas on how to prevent our kids fro this kind of addiction.
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