The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey has revealed that the number of students who have used marijuana within a month of the survey has increased significantly,
The Department of Health encourages all New Yorkers to avoid the use of marijuana, especially among those under 18 years old, who are particularly vulnerable to the drug’s effects.
The most recent data show that past-month marijuana use among high school students in New York City has been at its highest level for many years.
Dr Ward said that according to a recent study by the World Health Organization, teenage smoking is one of the leading causes of death among people aged between 15 and 29 years old.
She added that cigarettes are also a gateway drug that could lead to using other harmful substances such as marijuana and cocaine.
In addition, Ward said that children who have friends who smoke are four times more likely to start smoking themselves because of the influence.
Concerns About Addiction on Young Minds
There are concerns about addiction in younger minds. The reason for this is mainly due to the fact that more people use marijuana. Still, there’s a higher chance that children will use marijuana at a younger age than adults.
There are also concerns with how common marijuana use is throughout high school and college campuses.
Parents need to have discussions with their children about drugs and values, choices, and consequences of making poor decisions to spread awareness of dangers associated with drugs.
