The 23rd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) was released today, showing an increase in teen marijuana use and reductions in prescription drug misuse and especially cigarette smoking.
Smoking rates have declined with 22 percent of teens reporting smoking cigarettes in the past month -- down 19 percent from 27 percent last year. Past-month usage of marijuana, though, grew from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent last year.
The continued decline in teen cigarette smoking is great news -- not just because it's the most deadly drug but also because it reveals that legal regulation and honest education are more effective than prohibition and criminalization. Although the U.S. arrests 750,000 people every year for nothing more than possessing a small amount of marijuana, teens consistently report that marijuana is easier to obtain than alcohol.
It's time we developed a comprehensive strategy for dealing with drug abuse in the 21st century by focusing on what works and what doesn't. It's time to step back and ask ourselves what's the best way to solve the problem we're trying to solve -- how to reduce drug abuse and addiction -- and use the best available evidence to guide us. And, ultimately, it's time to bring marijuana out of the shadows and under the rule of law. The evidence shows that the most effective way to reduce teen marijuana use would be to regulate it in a manner similar to alcohol, with age limits, licensing controls, and other regulatory restrictions.
Rather than measuring success based on slight fluctuations in drug use, the primary measure of the effectiveness of our nation's drug policies should be the reduction of drug-related harm. A rational drug policy would prioritize reducing the problems associated with drug misuse itself -- such as overdose, addiction and disease transmission -- and the problems associated with drug prohibition, such as mass incarceration, erosion of civil liberties, and egregious racial disparities in enforcement, prosecution and sentencing. When evaluating policy options, we must consider the fiscal, health and human costs of arresting more than 1.6 million Americans each year on drug charges, including more than 750,000 for marijuana possession alone. Looking at use rates in a vacuum is missing the forest for the trees.
Jag Davies is the publications manager for the Drug Policy Alliance.
If they really cared for the children they'd legalize and regulate marijuana. If they really wanted to keep any substance out of the hands of "The Children" they first must take control of distribution away from black market dealers. They haven't accomplished that in 40+ years at a taxpayers cost in the hundreds of billions. It's time to treat marijuana as we do alcohol. My 27 year old daughter still gets carded when she buys alcohol, yet your 13 year old can buy anything the black market dealer has for a price whether it be money or "something else".
Prohibitionists, your path to hell may be paved with good intentions, but hell is your final destination, none the less.
FACT: Your kids have a better chance dying at the hands of someone enforcing marijuana laws than they do from ingesting it.
LEAP member, NYPD, ret.
The "drug war" does far more harm than good. You want kids to stop smoking? REGULATE, don't criminally prosecute. The law does nothing but destroy lives. Legalization, even decriminalization, is the way to go. Teach responsible use, moderation and reserve it for ADULTS.
Yet, Obama is doubling down on prohibition. This is a huge failure and betrayal to a growing segment of Americans.
Meanwhile, I think you have a skewed understanding of Socialism, turning it into an all-encompassing boogyman of some kind.
And if you think they do, please explain how and why.
what can't put into our bodies. Instead of focusing on arresting people and housing them in prison. We should be focusing on education and rehabilitation. Let's also focus on real jobs, and not prison guards, DEA agents and prisoners we then use as a form of slave labor. We have more people in jail per ratio then any other country in the world, enough is enough.