ABUSE_MAGAZINE_ID_ ABUSE Magazine Iowa | Page 35

ABUSE MAGAZINE 1905 E 7th St. Atlantic, IA 712-243-5214 12th graders, that number is 54.8 percent. Additionally, most high school students do not think that it is a problem to try marijuana once. Only 18.6 percent of high school seniors see problems associated with one time marijuana use. move on to “harder” and more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocoaine. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that the younger someone is when he or she uses marijuana, the more likely he or she is to use other drugs when they reach adulthood. Photo Source: discover-films.com Here’s how some of the “harder” drugs compare in terms of use: Cocaine: 62 percent of adults who had used marijuana before the age of 15 have used cocaine at some point during their lives. For those who had never used marijuana, that number is 0.6 percent. One of the dangers of marijuana is that it is considered a “gateway” drug. That is, those who use marijuana are more likely to Heroin: Those who use marijuana in youth are more likely to use heroin. That number is 9 percent as compared to 0.1 percent for those who had never used marijuana. Psychotherapeutic drugs: 53.9 percent of those who used marijuana before the age of 15 report that they have also tried to use psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical uses. The rate for those who have not used marijuana is 5.1 percent. “We are proud to support the fight to keep our youth Abuse Free!!” “We are proud to support our youth in being Abuse Free! We care and we get involved!” 604 W. 7th St. - Atlantic, IA (712) 243-7992 IOWA Gold , llC 66968 White Pole Rd. - Atlantic, IA 712-243-4515 “We are proud to keep our kids Golden by helping keep them Abuse Free!” It is clear that marijuana use can pre-dispose people for substance abuse later in life. Even with marijuana use on the decline in general, it is clear that with 2.1 million people using marijuana for the first time each year, this is still an issue. abusemagazine.org | Iowa Fall/Winter 2013-2014 | 35