HHS HealthBeat (January 29, 2009)

Teens and marijuana

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

For years since the mid-1990s, the proportion of teens that used marijuana has been shrinking. But the latest wide-ranging look at marijuana use indicates use may have leveled off.

The change showed up in the yearly Monitoring the Future classroom surveys, supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The survey found 11 percent of eighth graders, 24 percent of 10^th graders and 33 percent of 12^th graders reported using marijuana in the past year.

NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow:

[Dr. Nora Volkow speaks] ``A significant portion of high school students take marijuana and it’s also one of the drugs that then predicts utilization of other types of drugs.’’

The survey says rates of smoking and drinking continued to fall. But Volkow warns there’s work still to be done there, too.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 29 2009