Researchers List Warning Signs of Teen Marijuana Use

The University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research has unveiled a list of warning signs that can help determine whether teens are using marijuana, the Washington Post reported Sept. 2.

The nine warning signs can be used by parents, educators, and law-enforcement authorities -- all of whom, the study found, play a key role in identifying and preventing teens from using drugs.

"This is important because it's the first time we've been able to scientifically determine the signs and what can result from marijuana use," said Erin Artigiani, a spokeswoman for the center. "We found that teenagers really do rely on their parents to shape their attitudes on drugs. We encourage parents to talk to their kids about drugs, to understand that drug use is a mistake, and to be prepared for their responses."

Among the warning signs are: the use of cigarettes and alcohol before age 15, arrests for alcohol or other drugs, 20 or more unexcused absences from school, and the attitude that smoking cigarettes and marijuana is safe.

"A lot of this is, yes, common sense, but there's the perpetual denial factor. Parents never want to believe that it's their kid," said Milt McKenna, a Maryland Department of Education specialist on safe and drug-free schools. "What this report does is it tells us that these are no longer the things that we think and believe. Now we can say: 'Here are the facts. This comes from what your kids are telling us.'"

The study was based on data collected in the 2002 Maryland Adolescent Survey, which questioned 34,000 sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th-graders about their experiences with alcohol and other drugs.

Source: www.jointogether.org