Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 Source: Napa Valley Register (CA) Copyright: 2013 Lee Enterprises Contact: http://www.napavalleyregister.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/736 Author: Isabelle Dills CAMPAIGN TARGETS POT USAGE AMONG TEENAGERS Studies Say Marijuana Can Decrease Your IQ A local grassroots organization hopes to educate teens about the negative impacts of marijuana use. The Catalyst Coalition, a program of the Napa County Office of Education, is launching a campaign titled, "Be Ahead of the Crowd," based on recent research conducted by Duke University. The study followed more than 1,000 participants over decades, measuring their marijuana use and IQs. The results showed an association between regular marijuana use that began in adolescence and a drop of eight IQ points by the mid-30s, even if participants had stopped using the drug. According to the Catalyst Coalition's website, a loss of eight IQ points can reduce a person of average intelligence into the lowest third of the intelligence range. A similar study at Harvard Medical School found that because the brains of teens aren't fully developed, early and frequent marijuana use can lead to permanently decreased IQs as well as decreased attention spans. "We want teens and parents to know the facts," said Jennifer Stewart, head of Prevention Services for the Napa County Office of Education. According to the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey, between 31 percent and 47 percent of seventh-grade students in Napa County public schools said they believe that marijuana causes little or no harm if a person smokes it once or twice a week, Stewart said. The campaign will include a public service announcement that will be screened at the Napa movie theater, as well as information that goes home through middle and high schools about the damage marijuana does. Proclamations also will be signed by county health and education leaders declaring that marijuana is harmful for adolescents and encouraging all citizens to work to keep youth from accessing and using marijuana. Dr. Karen Smith, Napa County public health officer, and the Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drug Services are among the first to have signed the proclamations. The Catalyst Coalition plans to collect signatures between now and May, and then present it to the Board of Supervisors in recognition of Mental Health Month. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D