Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jan 2014
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Carey Gillam, Reuters
Page: D2

STUDY FINDS U.S. TEENS SMOKING MORE MARIJUANA

U.S. teenagers are smoking more marijuana but backing away from other
harmful drugs and doing less binge drinking, according to a report
from federal health researchers released last month.

Easier access to marijuana provided by new state laws allowing the
drug for medical treatment may be a factor, according to the report
from the National Institutes of Health.

The survey found that roughly 6.5 percent of high school seniors are
smoking marijuana daily, compared with 6 percent a decade ago and 2.4
percent in 1993, and nearly 23 percent of seniors said they smoked the
drug in the last month.

About 4 percent of 10th graders said they smoke the drug daily and 18
percent within the last month.

"We should be extremely concerned," said Nora Volkow, director of the
National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The growing use parallels an increase in the potency of marijuana, so
the drug can be more harmful to developing brains than in the past,
she added.

More teens are smoking marijuana, in part, because they see less risk
from regular use, according to the Monitoring the Future survey.
Slightly less than 40 percent of 12th graders surveyed said they see
regular marijuana use as harmful, down from 44.1 percent a year ago,
the report said.

Researchers said many teens reporting regular marijuana use say they
get the drug through a medical marijuana prescription. Colorado and
Washington state have legalized recreational use of marijuana, while
19 other states and the District of Columbia permit some form of
medical marijuana use.

A separate study out at the same time underscored how legalization can
translate into increased use. Washington state residents will consume
an estimated 175 metric tons of marijuana this year, equivalent to
about 50 half-gram joints for each man, woman and child in that state,
according to a study commissioned by state officials.

The consumption figures are more than double what state officials
estimated ahead of last year's vote to legalize recreational use of
the drug.

The Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for legal marijuana,
said last month that legalizing marijuana with age restrictions might
reduce use by teens.

"This data should inspire (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) to
examine the possibility that regulating marijuana like alcohol and
cigarettes could be a more effective approach than the current
system," said project spokesman Mason Tvert.

On a positive note, researchers said teenagers reported reduced use of
synthetic marijuana, sometimes called "K2" or "Spice," which has been
tied to toxic reactions in some users. The use of harmful inhalants
also declined over the last year, the survey said.

Cocaine and heroin use continued to show gradual declines in use by
teenagers, with use of both drugs at historic lows.

Alcohol use by teens also continued a steady decline, the survey
found. The percentage of 10th-graders who said they recently drank
five or more drinks in a row dropped to 13.7 percent in 2013 from 15.6
percent in 2012, the survey said.

More than 41,600 students from 389 public and private schools
participated in this year's Monitoring the Future survey.

Additional reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky
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