According to a University of Michigan study for the National Institute for Drug Abuse, marijuana use trumps Vicodin, Ecstasy, alcohol and tobacco use amongst teenagers. Specifically, the researchers surveyed thousands of eighth-graders, high school sophomores, and seniors and found that marijuana use has increased across all three groups.
In the survey of 47,097 students, the researchers found that cigarette smoking, binge drinking, and methamphetamine use are down. However, the news on increased marijuana use is discouraging. Furthermore, despite the fact that marijuana is the most popular drug amongst teenagers, the researchers still found an increase in prescription drug abuse in the students, particularly Vicodin and Oxycontin.
Public health officials and marijuana legalization proponents are at odds over the news. For example, White House drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, attributes the increase in marijuana use to a lack of education about the dangers of smoking pot. He believes that the alarming trend emphasizes the greater need for parents and authorities to increase anti-marijuana campaigns. Conversely, advocates for marijuana legalization, such as the Marijuana Policy Project, argue that the increase in pot smoking points to the fact that marijuana use should be legalized and regulated. Furthermore, Marijuana Policy Project spokesman, Bruce Mirkin, argues that the decline in tobacco smoking amongst teenagers suggests that the legalization and regulation of cigarettes helped curb teenagers’ access and that a similar policy should be applied to marijuana.
