Drugs, Depression A Perilous Mix For Teens

(AP)  Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday.

A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not reported being depressed - 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years," said John Walters, director of the office. "This is not just youthful experimentation that they'll get over as we used to think in the past."

Smoking marijuana can lead to more serious problems, Walters said in an interview.

For example, using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers, it said.

The report also cited research that showed that teens who smoke marijuana when feeling depressed were more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become addicted to pot - 8 percent compared with 3 percent.

Experts who have worked with children say there's nothing harmless about marijuana.

"I've seen many, many kids' lives negatively impacted and taken off track because of marijuana," said Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar, director of adolescent services for Phoenix House treatment centers in California. "It's somewhat Russian roulette. There are so many factors, emotional, psychological, biological. You can't predict the experimentation and how it will impact a kid."

The drug control policy office analyzed about a dozen studies looking at marijuana use, including research by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Overall, marijuana use among teens has decreased 25 percent since 2001, down to about 2.3 million kids who used pot at least once a month, the drug control office said.

While the drop is encouraging, Walters appealed to parents to recognize signs of possible drug use and depression.

"It's not something you look the other way about when your teen starts appearing careless about their grooming, withdrawing from the family, losing interest in daily activities," Walters said. "Find out what's wrong."

[rushman71]

honestabe8: For the first time ever, last night I finally got to watch the movie "Reefer Madness" through the internet. Thank God I smoked some shiit while I watched it. I swear, the mentality of that time period is pratically the same as today. Sorry, Uncle Sam, I''m not buying BullShiit!!!
Danm, I hate it when I got the munchies!!!

[honestabe8]

If pot is legal, less alcohol is consumed. The alcohol pushers know this, and they have lobbyists.

[honestabe8]

How does anyone believe anything Walters has to say? He is a lying scumbag, like McCaffery before him and whichever ******** will follow him. The whole organization (Office Of National Drug Control Policy)was created to lie to the American public. I hope Walters finds himself on the business end of a drunk driver.

[rushman71]

SharnCedar: Money is the main reason why the government won''t allow the public to smoke cannabis. As long as it is illegal, the government can get more out of your pocket than if it was legal. If it would be legal to buy or sell weed, the government would get nothing but shiit, because absolutely no one would go to the gas station to buy a pack of dubbies and spend an outrageous amount for it because of tax purposes. At the same time, people would still continue to go buy weed at their sources, pretty much paying less for more. Besides, I would like to have a sample of what I''m getting before I pay for it.
Legalize Marijuana!!! For a better, peaceful America!!!

[sharncedar]

The worst thing about pot is that it is a hardy plant that can be grown easily anywhere in the US. Thus it must be stopped - there is no way for big business to make money off this. Drugs must be supplied by the state, and the state must control them.

[geneonlbk]

Pleeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeee!! Shades of "Reefer Madness" and the incredible MDA report put out by Bush''s father, the "sissy president"

Does anyone believe that this sort of *** only turns up after pot has been in use for abouty five thousand years?

[guest173]

except for that polygamy case, it is out of character for texas to act on child abuse if you ever read their newspapers, it was surprising they actually took that report seriously, because of the high child homicides even when CPS is involved, so that was unusual.

[guest173]

(and I did report these things as I could to authorities, who it seems ignores it. it is no wonder why Texas has such high child abuse rates, the authorities don''t really do much when they are shown abuse, even after the child dies.)

[guest173]

I have actually seen in several instances where the parents were their child''s dealers and drug sources. and their other terrible parenting skills also contributes to the child''s decline into depression and anger. it isn''t just marijuana, you can''t let young kids watch rated R movies and be constantly ignored and expect them to be happy go lucky. parenting proactively with good morals is how we get good citizens, otherwise they will be criminals, but these parents are often criminals too, even though some of them are wealthy.

[atlanta30326]

These days, pressure to do drugs is all around, so it''s vital that you reach your kids early. Here are some tips for talking to them about marijuana and other illegal substances.

As an alternative to drugs, suggest "cool" drug-free activities, like making a bird feeder out of a milk carton or interviewing local seniors about what the olden days were like.

Scare your kids straight with the terrifying tale of the time you were 16 and did bong hits in the back of an El Camino outside a Kansas concert.

Explain that only lowlifes like pro athletes and rock stars use drugs.

Kids may ask too many questions. To save time, just explain to them that the powder-filled balloons will keep them from getting sick on the plane ride back to America.

As an alternative to harmful drugs like marijuana, encourage your kids to experiment with safe, legal substances like cigarettes and alcohol.

Be direct, brief, and to the point. Remember, you only have about 45 minutes or so before the acid really starts to kick in.

Ask the editors of Highlights For Children to repeat the strip in which Goofus OD''s and chokes on his own vomit in a bathroom stall at the train station.

Whatever you do, do not talk to your kids about drugs.