DavisPARENTSDO                        May 2012

Pot use is on the rise

Did you know that recent research showed that marijuana use among teens has risen for the fourth straight year, especially among 10th to 12 graders?  If you are the parent of a junior or senior, have you heard your child say that pot-smoking is everywhere and that it is no big deal … it is “just like when an adult has a couple of beers or wine to unwind.”  If yes, your teen is just saying what researchers have now documented as a change in perception by teens.  They don’t think that marijuana use poses any big health hazards, and pot-smoking is becoming more of a norm for them.

We, the adults in Davis, must be proactive at the end of the school year with prom, graduation, with yet another occasion for partying with the Whole Earth Festival.  As much as we would like to Davis does not have a drug problem, pot is everywhere and used by a lot of kids. You can help keep your kids safe by doing some of the following: 

• Talk with our kids about these upcoming events NOW
• Role play with them; discuss how they can respond when a friend, an older teen, or a college student offers them a joint or a beer
• Know where your kids are and with whom they are hanging out
• Offer to host a supervised party at your home
• Be clear about your expectations, set limits, and hold your teens accountable

For more in-depth information about marijuana use, go to our web page at www.davisparentsdo.org under the Helpful Reading tab where you will find “Is Marijuana Use Really That Prevalent?”   

See also a very recent report at http://www.drugfree.org/newsroom/pats-2011.