From: "Allen St. Pierre"
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005 ... 302492.htmMarijuana use linked to poor academic performance and treatment admissions
are rising
(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- A release from the Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) earlier this month announced their partnership with
education and health leaders to launch an ad campaign targeting parents. An
open letter to parents titled "Marijuana Could Threaten Your Teen's
Success," appeared in national and local newspapers, including The New York
Times and USA Today, as well as in Time, Newsweek and People magazines.
More than a dozen agencies and organizations have signed on in support of
the campaign. While illicit drug use among teens is on the decline,
marijuana is the most commonly used drug among 16- and 17-year-olds.
Research shows that 1.3 million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 used
marijuana for the first time last year.
Studies show that marijuana use during these peak academic years can have a
significant negative impact on academic performance. Marijuana can hinder a
teen's ability to learn and heavy use impairs young people's ability to
concentrate and retain information. Use of the drug is also linked to poorer
grades. A teen with a "D" average is four times more likely to have used
marijuana than a teen with an "A" average. A teenage marijuana user's odds
of dropping out are more than twice that of a non-user.
Marijuana use is just one of the topics of concern this week as the nation
focuses on drug prevention. Red Ribbon Week is celebrated throughout the
country in support of drug-free living.
Along with casual use is the risk of becoming dependent on the drug. Data
from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
showed that in 1992 there were 45 treatment admissions for marijuana use per
100,000 people aged 12 or older. This number more than doubled to 93
admissions by 1997 and in 2002 was 118. This resulted in an increase from
six percent to 15 percent of all treatment admissions.
In a release issued by SAMHSA, Administrator Charles Curie exclaimed,
³Marijuana is not a harmless substance, and these treatment trends emphasize
that point.²
Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead Gary W. Smith reports, ³Although
the number of people coming to us who are abusing pot is a smaller
percentage of our total clientele, in the 30 years I have been in the drug
rehabilitation field I have not seen these numbers of individuals literally
hooked on marijuana and unable to stop on their own.²
Narconon Arrowhead is one of the largest and most successful drug
rehabilitation and education programs in the country and it uses the
drug-free methodology developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron
Hubbard.
People seeking rehabilitation at Narconon Arrowhead often have tried more
traditional treatment methods and have failed, thus leaving them with little
hope that they could beat their addiction. However, the Narconon® Drug
Rehabilitation Program repeatedly achieves a success rate of approximately
70% for helping people permanently recover from their addiction.
For more information about marijuana, log on to
http://www.marijuanaaddiction.com.
To find learn about the Narconon Arrowhead drug rehabilitation program call
1-800-468-6933 or visit
http://www.stopaddiction.com.
You can view the open letter from the Office of National Drug Control
Policy by going to
http://www.mediacampaign.org/mg/print/a ... t_clr.html.
Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind...it doesn't matter!
-- Chuck Gauran
