How can I help a teen realize the dangers of marijuana use?

Question

The impact on school, driving, friends, family is great. How to help her realize the risks and admit to the problem?

Answer 1

Marijuana in itself poses very little physical health dangers. The smoke is generally mild, does not penetrate the lungs deeply, and overall pales in comparison to second hand tobacco smoke. Marijuana is not physically addictive, although heavy users may experience the same desires as one who regularly enjoys chocolate. Many people have smoked marijuana regularly since the 1960's, studies on these individuals show no long term health effects aside from a slightly elevated instance of lung cancer due to smoke inhalation. Smoking marijuana does temporarily impair one's senses, much in the way that alcohol consumption does.
Thus being said, the only harmful factors in smoking marijuana are those socially and legally.
Any activity that is not widely accepted can often distance one from those around them. If you gain a reputation for being a "stoner" of regularly smoking marijuana, it has the capacity to leave you open for unwarranted judgement by your peers, superiors, and guardians. Smoking pot will not make a teen anti-social or destroy any lasting relationships, other people will break their bonds with the teen out of predujice and thus create a tendency towards anti-social behavior outside of an accepting peer group.
Marijuana has a varying effect of academic performance. While some claim that they find it harder to concentrate if going to school high, others state that the best grades they have gotten have been when regularly smoking marijuana.

The single most dangerous aspect of smoking marijuana is legal consequences. Any activity that is labeled as illegal is instantly made harmful, regardless of whether the title is deserved. Explain to your teen that you do not approve and they should not smoke marijuana simply because of the harm inflicted upon you. If that fails, explain the legal issues, regardless of how deserving marijuana is of prohibition, and how usage can be a detriment to a teens future.

Please do your research before talking to your teen. Realize each side of the case and make an educated decision for yourself, then guide your teen in the direction that you think will best benefit them and their future.

Answer 2

As a parent you should have spoken to your "teen" about the dangers of substance abuse before this stage in their life.
This is really irresponsible parenting,and there is no excuse as there is plenty of info out there to guide you.
Maybe your "teen" knows a lot more about the dangers of substance use and abuse than you think.
Most do these days, as it is taught in school and is constantly in the media.
Can I ask, do you drink alcohol,smoke cigarettes or drink gallons of coffee or tea a day? If so then you are a substance abuser yourself.
I do get quite annoyed when parents come crying "I'm worried about Suzie or Jack "or whatever. You ask have they ever talked to the kids and the answer is "Oh I wouldn't feel right, or know what to say."
Once you start counselling the kids you realise that the parents have a lot to answer for.
There will be a reason if your "teen" has gone beyond experimenting and is finding that the drugs are filling a gap in their life.
If a child is educated about the dangers etc, its been found they are far less likely to bother with the peer pressure of experimenting.
Also remember drugs of any description cost money, where are they getting the money.
We just pick up the broken kids and try to mend them.You are the parent,its up to you to do your best to prevent them getting broken in the first place.
Three words, Communication Education and Respect.
If that happened in every home we would be out of work.
What a Happy Day that would be!

Answer 3

For some reason people simply do not want to realize that Marijuana is a dangerous drug, but it is. She may be in denial about the dangerous of it, or maybe she doesn't care. I have several friends today who say things like, "What can happen? I'll get in trouble for being caught with it...big deal." Not cool. Studies show, over and over again, that scientists really do not know the long time effects of marijuana. Which means, a few years from now, they may realize that it causes cancers. Why not? There is smoke involved, and if a cigarette cause cancer from it's mixes and inhaled smoke, what makes marijuana any different? Plus marijuana today is not the same as marijuana back then. Now it is mixed and laced with who knows what, and it is much more potent. I searched the web, for some sites that may help. Sadly enough, teens will do what they want to do. If she wants to contiue to smoke, she will do just that. The young enjoy that "living and learning" way of life. You can't break her habit, she'll have to want to break it herself. I wish you the best!

http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/substance-abuse/29881.html

http://www.marijuana-detox.com/m-dangers.htm

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nas/dangers.htm

http://www.marijuana-addiction.net/marijuana-dangers.htm

Answer 4

First of all, it is apparent that you need to educate yourself. Don't rely on the answers here because most of the answers you get in response to these questions come from people who are absolutely clueless and couldn't pass a basic quiz to save their own lives.

Before you talk to any teenager about drugs, you should take it for granted that they know more about the subject than you do. So don't try to come out with the nonsense crap that you will find in most of these answers because your kid will just think you are stupid and then won't believe you about other drugs like heroin and cocaine. Credibility comes first. Without it, you are dead in the water before you start.

The first thing you should read on the subject is the short history of the marijuana laws at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm It is funny and fascinating. It will explain why you get so many really ignorant answers to these questions.

The next thing you should read is the Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm This is probably the best overall review of the drug problem ever written. You will find surprises on every page. If you haven't read this book then you simply don't know the subject. Don't take advice from anyone who hasn't read it. (It will quickly become obvious that most of the people here have not read it.)

One of the things you will learn from this book is the biggest single cause of drug epidemics among US children. What is it? Anti-drug campaigns. Like, for example, did you ever wonder how glue sniffing got started? Think about it. Glue is a really crappy way to get high. Where did anyone get the idea that sniffing glue would be fun? You will find the answer in Chapter 44 - How to Launch a Nationwide Drug Menace. It is an object lesson in what NOT to do.

Then, if you want more information, read the Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm This is a collection of the full text of most of the major government commission reports over the last 100 years. If you read them, you will also discover that most of the people here are absolutely clueless.

In short, marijuana is not a major health hazard. Neither is there much evidence that it has any serious impact on auto accidents. (Note that kids are not good drivers to begin with, and they will be inexperienced with the drug so, for kids, the hazards on the road would be greater. For adults who are experienced with it, however, it is not a major road hazard.)

If there is an impact on your family that will probably come from hysterical overreactions by adults. The vast majority of kids who smoke marijuana will come through the experience with no major problems, and most will give it up as they become adults with adult responsibilities.

Just to put things in proper perspective, so you don't get all hysterical -- keep in mind that, statistically speaking, your child is about 100 times as likely to wind up dying from alcohol or tobacco as from any illegal drug. Tobacco and alcohol kill more people every year than all the people killed by all the illegal drugs in the last several decades. My own children have seen lots of their friends die from the effects of drugs. In every case, the drug that did the killing was alcohol.

Good luck -- but make sure you really know the subject before you start to speak. And don't rely on US Government sources for information, either. The reason I put the major studies up on the net is because some of them have been deliberately suppressed by the US Government. The US Government has had an official, and openly stated, policy of lying about marijuana since at least 1930. That is not my opinion. That is fact that you can read about in the references above.

Answer 5

Have you first tried to convince her about the dangers of alcohol? the number of people who have died in alcohol related car accidents is I'm sure hundreds of time greater than those caused by marijuana, or is it that marijuana is illegal that bothers you? Just because something is illegal doesn't make it wrong. Just as because something is legal doesn't make it right. Have you also warned her about the pharmaceutical companies who are more than willing to sell her "wellness drugs" that can kill her?

Answer 6

you cant it is an very addictive drug man me myself and i cant even go with out weed man its like a medication that takes all your troubles and worries away and pain and deppression its like your in heaven and so yea you really cant make a teen quite now that she or he is going thru the tuff stage of life so that teen will quite when ever she is bored of it but if she or he is crossing the line then you have to do somthing aboute cause weed kills there brain cells and trust me it killed a whooe lot of mine yeah so you mighy wanna get a doctor somthing well good luck! p.s things may get out of hand she or he will freak if you take wats theres and they might even get frusstraded. well see you.

Answer 7

You are powerless over marijuana and your teen. You cannot control, manioulate, guilt, scare or connive your teen into stopping. Marijuana addiction is progressive.

The only thing you can do is to take care of yourself, stop enabling or controlling behavior. The more you resist, the more the addiction persists. The more you accuse, monitor and control, the more your child will sneak and focus on you and blame you for her problems.

I found help through Al-Anon and Naranon when I realized my loved one was a serious Marijuana addict and I was the one suffering with worry and my life was out of control while I obsessed about her safety and trying to save her from herself.

Find out all you can about addiction and seek help for yourself.

Answer 8

i have been that teen once where i was smoking dope, dropped out of school until i really became unwell and if i saw the damage of mental illness before it happened to me i would of gave up years before,