CDC Study: Teen Marijuana Use
More U.S. teens are now smoking marijuana than cigarettes, according to a new government survey.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a survey, which found that 23 percent of high school students say that they've recently smoked marijuana, while 19 percent of high school students say that they've recently smoked cigarettes.
This marks the first time that marijuana use has eclipsed cigarette smoking. One expert says that a factor in rising marijuana use is that teens perceive the drug to be less harmful for their health than cigarettes.
Cigarette smoking, on the other hand, has been on the decline in recent years. The 2011 Monitoring the Future study, conducted at the University of Michigan, found that decreasing numbers of students in grades eight, 10 and 12 reported having smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days. Among high school seniors, 18.7 percent reported cigarette use in the past month, compared to 21.6 percent in 2006.
The study also found that alcohol use is on the decline among American teens. For 12th graders, 63.5 percent of reported drinking in the past year, compared to a high of 74.8 percent in 1997.
Along with the recent rise in marijuana use, a recent study on teen drug use and driving found that 19 percent of teen drivers have reported driving under the influence of marijuana -- and over a third said that they believe the drug has no effect on their driving abilities.
Another recent study found a link between loud music and drug use, with results showing that teens who blast music from their headphones are more likely to smoke marijuana.
Seems like teens have gotten the memo that cigarettes are bad for you; however, the same isn’t true for marijuana, according to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Released late last week, the government study revealed that in a nationwide study of 15,000 high school students, pot is now more popular among teens than cigarettes, CBS reports. Eighteen percent of surveyed students in 2011 reported smoking a cigarette in the past month, while 23% reported smoking marijuana in the last 30 days.
Perhaps thanks to the anti-smoking campaigns in ads and in schools, or to the personal experiences teens may have with family members or relatives with lung cancer, cigarette use has been on the decline over the past few years.
But apparently, the association of marijuana with cancer and other health risks is not as prevalent among teens. “I just hear a lot of dangers of cancer and cigarettes and I think that’s why a lot of teens look to marijuana,” Tianda, a Philadelphia high school junior who wasn’t identified by her full name, told CBS Philly.
While plenty of research has been done on the health effects of the marijuana use, results are mixed. A study published in the journal Addiction last year found that marijuana had little long-term effect on learning and memory, and that any cognitive damage was reversible.
However, while there may not be lasting cognitive effects, there could be other health effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana smoke contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke, and that pot smokers usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath, which can lead to an even larger increase in exposure to the smoke.
But then, the NIDA goes on to report:
Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer; however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.
Teens are going to need some hard and fast facts — and plenty more education — before they believe that pot smoking is as detrimental as cigarettes.
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/11/study-more-teens-smoking-pot-than-cigarettes/#ixzz1xcDY0w6k
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a survey, which found that 23 percent of high school students say that they've recently smoked marijuana, while 19 percent of high school students say that they've recently smoked cigarettes.
This marks the first time that marijuana use has eclipsed cigarette smoking. One expert says that a factor in rising marijuana use is that teens perceive the drug to be less harmful for their health than cigarettes.
Cigarette smoking, on the other hand, has been on the decline in recent years. The 2011 Monitoring the Future study, conducted at the University of Michigan, found that decreasing numbers of students in grades eight, 10 and 12 reported having smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days. Among high school seniors, 18.7 percent reported cigarette use in the past month, compared to 21.6 percent in 2006.
The study also found that alcohol use is on the decline among American teens. For 12th graders, 63.5 percent of reported drinking in the past year, compared to a high of 74.8 percent in 1997.
Along with the recent rise in marijuana use, a recent study on teen drug use and driving found that 19 percent of teen drivers have reported driving under the influence of marijuana -- and over a third said that they believe the drug has no effect on their driving abilities.
Another recent study found a link between loud music and drug use, with results showing that teens who blast music from their headphones are more likely to smoke marijuana.
Seems like teens have gotten the memo that cigarettes are bad for you; however, the same isn’t true for marijuana, according to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Released late last week, the government study revealed that in a nationwide study of 15,000 high school students, pot is now more popular among teens than cigarettes, CBS reports. Eighteen percent of surveyed students in 2011 reported smoking a cigarette in the past month, while 23% reported smoking marijuana in the last 30 days.
Perhaps thanks to the anti-smoking campaigns in ads and in schools, or to the personal experiences teens may have with family members or relatives with lung cancer, cigarette use has been on the decline over the past few years.
But apparently, the association of marijuana with cancer and other health risks is not as prevalent among teens. “I just hear a lot of dangers of cancer and cigarettes and I think that’s why a lot of teens look to marijuana,” Tianda, a Philadelphia high school junior who wasn’t identified by her full name, told CBS Philly.
While plenty of research has been done on the health effects of the marijuana use, results are mixed. A study published in the journal Addiction last year found that marijuana had little long-term effect on learning and memory, and that any cognitive damage was reversible.
However, while there may not be lasting cognitive effects, there could be other health effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana smoke contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke, and that pot smokers usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath, which can lead to an even larger increase in exposure to the smoke.
But then, the NIDA goes on to report:
Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer; however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.
Teens are going to need some hard and fast facts — and plenty more education — before they believe that pot smoking is as detrimental as cigarettes.
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/11/study-more-teens-smoking-pot-than-cigarettes/#ixzz1xcDY0w6k
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