Statement by Tyreol Gardner that he started smoking marijuana when he was 13, evince that teenagers are more likely to indulge in marijuana smoking than adults or we can say that teenagers are more vulnerable to marijuana smoking than adults.
We can’t keep a blind eye to this serious issue since marijuana smoking has been linked to several mental as well as physical disorders. Here is a look:-
1. Cannabis-related health risks
2. Marijuana smoking damages sperm.
3. Marijuana Use Linked To Early Bladder Cancer.
Expressing a deep concern about hike in marijuana smoking Wesley Clarke, director of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration observes:
No matter which side you take in the debate over whether marijuana is a “gateway” to other illicit drugs, you can’t argue with “indisputable data” showing that smoking pot affects neuropsychological functioning, such as hand-eye coordination, reaction time and memory.
Actually, Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. No doubt, from 2005 to 2006 marijuana use by adolescents has seen a slight decline still its use is more common than it was 15 years ago. This fact is based on a study conducted by University of Michigan, which tracked people from the eighth grade through young adulthood. The following figures give enough reason to defend this above expostulated fact. According to these figures, in 2006, 11.7% of eighth-graders said they had used marijuana during the past year, compared with 6.2% of eighth-graders in 1991. Among 12th-graders, 31.5% said they had used marijuana in the previous year; in 1991, 23.9% said they had.
A cursory glance over the whole subject-matter is sufficient show that how grave the situation is, especially as far as teens in the U.S. are concerned. In order to pull out a solid solution to this growing trend there is dire need of understanding teen psychology quite efficiently. Secondly, parents as well teachers should make sure that teens do not come across such anti-social elements, which slyly push teenagers into the ditch of marijuana intoxication. Thirdly, authorities should take strong measure so that people who work as agents of marijuana may no creep out into the society. Fourthly and most importantly, this evil should be trampled in the very beginning because it has been scientifically proved that those who get exposed to marijuana smoking are predisposed to more addictive drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. And this very fact has given way to a burning question, which is still unsolved:
Is marijuana a gateway to other addictions?
Via: USA Today