8 The Michigan Daiiy - Monday, June 15, 1998
Study reveals '90s attitude toward marijuana.
1 Researchers say marijuana use is up among teens because many users today
dismiss the possible impact of marijuana and its perceived risks.
By Asia Sherman
For the D~aily
Marijuana use is up among teents
itt thte 90s hecause they don tot see it
is dategerous, said a University
studly hy Jerald Baclhman, L loyd
Jolhnstontattd Patrick O'Malley.
Draswitng ott statistics from the
Monitoring thte Future study cotn-
dricted hy the Itstitute for Social
Researect and futnded hy the National
intstitute on Drutg Ahuse, the study
shosws thte symeeectrical trelationship
hetwecen recetet inceases tn studettts'
nearijurana rtse and tht eepacets of the
perceived risksanI citsatpprosal ftritt
197ftto 1996.
The natiotial ttencd datta displays
htigh tmarijutaina se atngeehigh-
schtool sceiors itn the I19701s.t drop itn
the I1980s attd a steady incease in
the I199f0s amngt high school sentors
as well as 8ttattd 9thtgtrtdeis
Bachttane said teicrtease catitnot
he tttrihcutedl solcly to lifcstylIe ftctors
whch i ncluidetracys'ancdge-ides.
ThtcseIfictots cant hc csed to dcter-
tetice thoseitttrtsk ofh"ptroblcem"or
"decsatbehlti othut 13achmtacn
attrtbruted thc tcncdctcy to rise mnjiia-
tea to sometingite.
"It is thce attitudicle is relicteitari-
juaitt wschti s driving ehavttsor par-
ttcrl t sfrome easr to thtcnttct
3Bachmn iesaiid Ithat theway tyhlai
young people learl their lives isno
chategi ig0xyearly.
'It's nt tthat kids, are geit iitg eeare
rel igioris heciise thcat liastit
chatngecd'Bachtmani said.
Most socirces said they wished to
remnain anonymous itt order to demon-
strate theitr egnitiotn of te genceral
society's cdisaipprosval of nearijtatna
usets.
But teeity Of tlte sorres said itey
sawss tothiteg swrontg with thterise of
tear ijuciaietitd evene advocated its
legalizatitote
-coNt xctv
"If hetmp swere legal, ste cocildea rsily
eliteiteate the nationeal deficit,, said a
veteratn pot-smeoker whio cused tearijua-
tea intthte 1970s. "We donte eed a big
hrotheer goverinmentt. Peolele should he
accoutetable for thecir ownt actionis as
long as thecy dotet itefritige ote otleer
peolees rights.
Aside frome the ecoteomeic and
political ramnificationes of legaliza-
tiote,neost nmarijuanta isers did not
perceive great risks or conesequeneces
of thec drug.
"Flee otely realI tisk is theat it Ilerrts
yotur rings. Itsa pretty vile drug as
long as you dont dro it eiscldiy:' said
Caitline Wilkcrson, ate Aniiiarbor Sit
grader
Shte comeeneceteclcn theltc eets ref
mearijtuanta ott a laIener of ier
classmeates.
'It rdoesne't surcck thteimeat all,"
\Vilkersotesaidel"Itjuist tmeakes tete
silly, stitpird ateelhuteery.
Tle risks of teariijrtatie rse mtay
itecluete deectreased concetratione,
lontg termetfcfects ontthle rceprrodLIC-
tiont svstcieelesoweredl tmotisvation,. ate
inecreasediterest Inttintg light
andc a deereasedl intterest ie schorol,
B~achmieansid
D~espite these risks, lee studey
shoess tat lie attitude reguirditeg
Itt11ariea Ia gacis imetre lidelback
theaneinte leblst deaeedeontratineg
that bhe ttitudre anil hlas et
reg-arii th e druigits coetec till cie'-
c sittce the~ 1970s.
A Unitversisty ire-lss ellgv stut-
dlettwhlo <rid c deel rmcitt ighl
schootil itt I994 is cuenttly teseaircle-
itig the reasotns forthtle presence of
catetahaitoid recepttor s intthtechrain
anee asserted tha t lie effects ref mtari-
jcanta are tot as Itarnmfrulis thte tmedia
portrays thetee
'I think I'te tlwss t adsthi le laid-
hack aittituee slch leairs neassay
front notions of tmoteyv tid poster ated
met oiwards creaitivits, whitch macri-
Juanta itespires,"tle 'nonymtotus sourCe
said.
Bevyonee the scope of thte studey,
thte researce rs speculatedl as to tlte
sourrce othle inercsedh etenplaceti
regardinte eprohletmtof adorlcse,
drug use.
"(one Itspotheesis is thtat recett
class coheorts Itaise Itad lestsripportut-
itity to leairte vicartously abouttele
lhazardls of crit;s hy ohsers iteg drugT
risers ie theiracequitatnitesheileci=
cles antrlamtong ptuhlic fietires?"
Baclitisaid.
Thie stIre researchers said lies
helieve that vorteg people tteirldltay
attetintotteacteailistic anmed ibile C
Marijuana Mania
. Mariuana ase among high scihool
seniors increased in the 1970s and
threoughout the1980s.
* Marijuana use continues to
increase daring the 1990s.
Individual lifestyle factors includ-
ing grades, truancy, religinus
commeitment and evenings out for
recreation correlated substantially
with nearijuana use.
Decreases in perceived risk of
harmfulness and social disapprosal
of marijuana can account for the
recent increase in students' use of
mariiuana.
*w Use of marijuana among 8th andy
10lth grade students more than dos-
bled during the fas half- decade.
Prevention methods should
include realistic information about
risks and consequences of marijua-
na use.
-Atmercau-utntitia! o/*Pttlfir' Ie'if
Alfredo Santiago, an RC sophomore, smokes marijuana. A University study shows
that students are not taking the risks of smoking pot seriously.
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