What Are Your Kids Doing This Summer?

04/03/2008

Trying Marijuana for the First Time

Did you know that more American teens try marijuana for the first time during summer, than at any other time of year, according to a report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy?

The report, "Seasonality of Youth's First-Time Use of Marijuana, Cigarettes or Alcohol," from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows a 40 percent increase in first-time youth marijuana use during June and July, compared to the rest of the year. Each day in June and July an average of 6,300 youths try marijuana for the first time. The number of new underage drinkers and cigarette smokers also jumps during the summer months.

With 62 percent of mothers in the U.S. in the work force, the old tradition of stay-at-home moms watching over their vacationing kids has gone the way of black-and-white TV. Haunted by the prevalence of violence, sexual promiscuity and drug abuse among today's youth, some adults look to organized programs as a safe haven for their children. Others feel guilty that they don't spend more time at home and try to make up for it by sending their kids to pricey summer programs. It has become a sort of "deal with it" spending.

Part of the problem is that most kids do not get proper education on the subject of drugs. Couple this with the freedom of summer and allure of fun with friends and you get a real recipe for disaster! While you may trust your kids to stay clean, it is difficult to protect them from the pressures of their peers and ensure they will avoid the "experimenting" with drugs.

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