cannabisnews.com: New Study Shows Kids Exposed From Birth Forward!





 New Study Shows Kids Exposed From Birth Forward!
Posted by FoM on January 06, 1999 at 09:58:50 PT

 SEATTLE Students who drink, smoke or use other drugs are three to five times more likely to carry a gun, attack someone and perform poorly in school, according to a new study released today by Washington Kids Count and the state Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. 
Guns, Violence and Poor Grades a Tragic Outcome of Students' Alcohol and Drug UsePRNewswire06-JAN-99The report, "Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children," also shows that drugs and alcohol are a part of children's lives at all ages-- from pre-birth when pregnant women use alcohol and drugs, to drug use among high school students-- and that 80 percent of young children grow up with adult and parental role models using alcohol and drugs. "This report shows that substance abuse pervades the lives of children before they are born, through childhood and adolescence, and lasts until they become parents and pass the behavior on to their children," said Dr. Richard Brandon, project director of Washington Kids Count. "Kids who use drugs and alcohol are responding to multiple factors in their homes and communities, such as parental substance abuse and lack of neighbors to provide support. We must respond with multiple solutions for intervention and prevention in our homes, communities and service programs." "Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children" includes the following specific information:   * Regular substance users are three to five times more likely to havegiven up on school, dropped out of school at some time and been suspended in the last year. Regular substance users do not consider it as important to get good grades and are less involved in sports and other extra-curricular activities.   * One in three regular users carries a weapon (32%) or was in a physicalfight (33%) in the last month. More than a quarter (27%) were arrested in the last year.   * A majority of mothers use alcohol, tobacco, or other harmful substancesbefore pregnancy. One in six (17%) mothers continue to smoke in the last three months of pregnancy; one in nine (11%) continue to drink.   * Parents are not aware how pervasive drugs are for teens and how easythey are to get. One in 7 high school students in Washington reports being a recent heavy user of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants or other illegal drugs. Half to two-thirds say marijuana and alcohol are easy to obtain.   * Most (80%) of very young children grow up with the use of alcohol ordrugs by their parents and other close adults as a role model; one third (35%) have parents or close adults who abuse alcohol or illegal drugs. "This report should serve as a wake-up call to every family, business, school and community in our state," explained Lyle Quasim, secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services. "Our collective behavior is setting a pro-use environment for our children. Babies know the Budweiser frogs before they can read. Children are growing up with parents using alcohol and drugs in their homes. Adolescents are telling us clearly that drugs are easy to get. "The Washington Kids Count report is not the usual report card on adolescent behavior. It is a cry for adult responsibility. We will not make a significant difference in our children's drug use if we teach them only of the problems they will face if they use drugs, then turn them loose in an environment full of pro-use messages and behavior." According to Kenneth Stark, director of DSHS's Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, a combination of targeted prevention strategies, chemical dependency treatment on demand, and community-supported law enforcement can help build healthy, safe communities in our state. "DSHS plans to address the concerns raised in this report by establishing Project SAFE in Pierce County," Stark said. "The Social Accountability Financial Efficiency (SAFE) project is designed to reduce the social and economic cost of substance abuse by targeting a single community and giving it the financial resources to support a concentrated alcohol and drug prevention, intervention and treatment effort." "For our children to succeed in the 21st century we must provide healthy, civil environments in our communities, homes and schools," noted Dr. Terry Bergeson, state Superintendent of Public Instruction. "This report presents a challenge calling for us to work together to provide such nurturing environments. Much needs to be done. I am happy to see that the statistics confirm what we already knew-- kids that do not abuse do better in school and life. Working together we can help our children become the successful citizens of tomorrow." The "Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children" report showed that pervasive use of alcohol and drugs is a cause for alarm and action, not for dismay. Use and abuse can be prevented and dependency can be treated successfully.   * Treatment programs in Washington state have been shown to decrease usein teens and adults, to improve school performance, reduce arrests and detention in school, to increase employment and earnings and to reduce public costs of medical care and income assistance.   * Arrest rates among a sample of youth treated for chemical dependencydeclined from two-thirds (67%) having been arrested before treatment, to one-third (35%) arrested in the 18 months following treatment. Felony arrests of youth dropped from 43% to 18%. For more information and publications about the conditions of children in Washington, please call Washington Kids Count at 206-685-7613, and check its website, http://hspc.org 
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Comment #4 posted by observer on February 08, 2001 at 09:39:54 PT
Marijuana Uses
see:Claim Four: "Marijuana Causes Long-Term Changes In The Brain Similar To Those Seen With Other Drugs Of Abuse."http://www.marijuananews.com/marijuananews/cowan/claim_four_.htmalso see:http://www.marijuana-uses.comScientist and author, Carl Sagan writes: The cannabis experience has greatly improved my appreciation for art, a subject which I had never much appreciated before. The understanding of the intent of the artist which I can achieve when high sometimes carries over to when I'm down. This is one of many human frontiers which cannabis has helped me traverse. There also have been some art-related insights – I don't know whether they are true or false, but they were fun to formulate. For example, I have spent some time high looking at the work of the Belgian surrealist Yves Tanguey. Some years later, I emerged from a long swim in the Caribbean and sank exhausted onto a beach formed from the erosion of a nearby coral reef. In idly examining the arcuate pastel-colored coral fragments which made up the beach, I saw before me a vast Tanguey painting. Perhaps Tanguey visited such a beach in his childhood. . . . There is a myth about such highs: the user has an illusion of great insight, but it does not survive scrutiny in the morning. I am convinced that this is an error, and that the devastating insights achieved when high are real insights; the main problem is putting these insights in a form acceptable to the quite different self that we are when we're down the next day. Some of the hardest work I've ever done has been to put such insights down on tape or in writing. The problem is that ten even more interesting ideas or images have to be lost in the effort of recording one. It is easy to understand why someone might think it's a waste of effort going to all that trouble to set the thought down, a kind of intrusion of the Protestant Ethic. But since I live almost all my life down I've made the effort – successfully, I think. Incidentally, I find that reasonably good insights can be remembered the next day, but only if some effort has been made to set them down another way. If I write the insight down or tell it to someone, then I can remember it with no assistance the following morning; but if I merely say to myself that I must make an effort to remember, I never do. -- Carl Sagan http://www.marijuana-uses.com/examples/Mr_X.htm books by Carl Sagan: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Sagan%2C%20Carl/ 
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Comment #3 posted by Karen on February 08, 2001 at 09:07:13 PT:
response to marijuana comment
I appreciate someone taking note on the harms of alcohol and hard drugs; however, the comment on how if students only smoked marijuana and how they would do well in school if they wanted to, blew my mind!This is absolutely a myth! This person was obviously not trained in prevention of substance abuse let alone given correct facts! This is not to slam their misguided perceptions of the dangers of using marijuana, but there are difinitely corrections needed here!First of all, look into Prevention Research Institute (PRI) in Kentucky. Marijuana, even tobacco attaches itself to brain cells and DOES have an effect on the brain and it's cells like that of tobacco, alcohol, etcSecondly, which has more alcohol? A shot of hard alcohol 100 proof, a 5 oz glass of wine, a 12 oz beer or a wine cooler? To the commenter of this, they all have the same amount. Anything over five drinks for a man 4 for a woman is considered binge drinking. See it doesn't matter if it's hard alcohol, a beer, or marijuana. You can damage body parts especially the brain (ya know essential for thinking and succeeding in school)!!!!!The fact of the matter is all of these can cause more than cancer! It lowers your attention and memory, especially marijuana use! They are all worth prevention efforts equally. Each subject matter needs/should be to be taught to children by trained prevention personal (each state has Prevention Specialist-contact your state HHS service for further info)and NOT people who are recovered. The message we send kids is I did it and lived you can too. Although their intent is well, it is highly damaging! 
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Comment #2 posted by Mitzi on January 07, 1999 at 08:45:27 PT:
Student Study
I agree, do not compare marijuana to Alcohol and Drugs. It simply is not the same. Someone who smokes marijuana will not kill anyone, if anything, maybe someone who is contemplating killing someone should be given a joint and then sat down to talk it out. Try that with Alcohol and you would probably get deadly results.
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Comment #1 posted by UaN on January 06, 1999 at 18:42:38 PT
Alcohol & Marijuana
I hate when they use the expression alcohol and marijuana and drugs as if marijuana was the same with the same result as alcohol and drugs.....I personally agree that alcohol is a bad drug and causes many problems for kids that drink and so do hard drugs.....I agree that it would and could affect their schooling or the lack of it. But don't judge marijuana by alcohol and drugs.....can't be and never will be a comparison there.....kids who smoke pot only would probably have better chance of getting an education, if they want it bad enough than one who drinks or does hard drugs!Of course, this is my opinion.
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