October 2004

Marijuana and Learning

EDC’s Center for College Health and Safety is one of nine co–signatories on a full-page notice published in Tuesday’s editions of the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and US News & World Report. The letter, issued by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is part of a new outreach effort focusing on marijuana’s negative impact on teen learning and academic success. The piece, issued as an “Open Letter to Parents” and titled “Experts Agree that Marijuana and Learning Don’t Add Up,” is part of ONDCP’s “Parents: The Anti-Drug” campaign.

The Center for College Health and Safety, part of EDC’s Health and Human Development programs, assists colleges and universities in developing, implementing, and evaluating prevention policies and programs to address a broad range of health and safety issues at institutions of higher education.

The letter targets parents of college-aged students and highlights four research findings that demonstrate the damage done by drug use. It is also signed by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American School Counselor Association, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Asian and Pacific-American Education, the National Student Assistance Association, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the United Negro College Fund.
Almost 4 million youth aged 12 to 17 (16 percent) had used marijuana at least once in the past year, according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey also found that almost 14 percent of youth who bought marijuana did so on school property. Youth who decide not to use cite parental disapproval as an influence on their decision, the study noted.

The “Open Letter to Parents” can be seen at http://www.theantidrug.com/pdfs/MJ_Learning_10_1_04.pdf

Information about the ONDCP drug prevention efforts is available at www.TheAntiDrug.com and www.MediaCampaign.org.

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