WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The latest 'Monitoring the Future' survey of teen drug use, released this week, reveals disturbing trends in teen drug use and attitudes, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
"This new survey documents the complete, utter failure of current government policies on marijuana," said Aaron Houston, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.
The new survey shows that rates of teen use of most drugs, including marijuana, remain far higher than 15 years ago. For example, in 1992, 3.7 percent of eighth graders were current marijuana users, compared to 5.7 percent in 2007. For twelfth graders, the figures were 11.9 percent and 18.8 percent, respectively. Use of cocaine and hallucinogens has also risen sharply in the last 15 years. Current cocaine use was up in all age groups, with the rate among tenth graders nearly doubling from 0.7 percent in 1992 to 1.3 percent in 2007.
Perhaps most disturbing, Houston noted, are misunderstandings regarding the dangers of drugs shown in this survey, particularly among the youngest teens surveyed. For example, 50.2 percent of eighth graders saw "great risk" in smoking marijuana occasionally -- more than saw great risk in trying crack or powder cocaine, trying LSD, or in drinking nearly every day. Twelfth graders were more likely to disapprove of occasional marijuana use than of binge drinking (having five or more drinks at one sitting) once or twice every weekend.
"Drug Czar John Walters touts minor, short-term improvements, but deliberately ignores the big picture," Houston said. "Over the long haul, teen drug use is up, not down. As a parent, I don't want any kids smoking marijuana. It's truly scary that the White House has convinced millions of teens that drugs that can literally kill them are safer than marijuana. We're pursuing policies whose costs will be paid in lives."
With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.
For more information, please visit http://marijuanapolicy.org
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