INFORMATION:
<< Back
Marijuana: It's More Harmful Than We Thought…Especially for Girls
Marijuana: It’s More Harmful Than We Thought…Especially for Girls
A recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York found that one in four ninth-grade girls who were sexually active reported using alcohol or drugs at the time they last had sex. With marijuana by far the most widely used illegal drug among teens today, parents of teen girls should take note of the widely underestimated risks of using marijuana.
Marijuana or alcohol can cloud judgment and decision-making, increasing girls’ vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. In fact, one study found that teens who have used marijuana are four times more likely to have gotten pregnant or to have gotten someone pregnant than teens who have never smoked pot.
Parents are the first line of defense in warning their daughters about these risks of using marijuana and alcohol. And the sooner, the better. Statistics show that the use of marijuana among high school students increases with age, with 16.5 percent of ninth grade girls and more than 20 percent of 12th grade girls reporting marijuana use in the past month.
Warning signs of marijuana use include:
• Bloodshot eyes or clothes that smell of smoke
• Isolation, depression, fatigue or anxiety
• A decline in school performance or attendance
• A change in sleeping or eating habits
• Use of incense or room deodorizer
Many parents are surprised to learn that teens use marijuana more than ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and all other illegal drugs combined. In fact, among kids who use drugs, nearly 60 percent use marijuana only.
What can parents do? First, parents should remember that they are role models for their kids and act accordingly. Experts suggest that they can talk to their kids about how taking drugs puts them in risky situations and may lead to decisions they will later regret. They can let their daughters and sons know that in their household there is a firm rule of no marijuana or other drug use, and that there are clear consequences if the rule is broken.
Perhaps most importantly, parents should stay involved in their kids’ lives. Know who she’s with, what she’s doing, where your teen is and when she’ll be home. Ask who, what, where, when. Keep the lines of communications open. It may be your child’s lifeline.
Health Hazards and Effects
Usually smoked as a cigarette or joint, or in a pipe or bong, marijuana has appeared in “blunts” in recent years. These are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and re-filled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug, such as crack. Some users also mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew tea.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem-solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Health Hazards
Effects of Marijuana on the Brain. Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain’s limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that THC suppresses neurons in the information-processing system of the hippocampus. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate.
Effects on the Lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.
Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.
Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior. A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 “heavy users,” who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 “light users,” who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour period of abstinence from marijuana and other illegal drugs and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. The findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.
Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_truth_healthhazards.asp
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vcards
