News « back to news Fact Is: Most Teens Are Drug-Free Did You Know . . . By not allowing your peers or irresponsible adults to pressure you into using drugs, alcohol or tobacco you are showing signs of confidence and maturity. Teens who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from school. More teens are in treatment for marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Smoking marijuana leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroine and alcohol. In some Illinois cities you can be fined up to $1000 for the possession of marijuana. The short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate and anxiety. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco. There are roughly 400 chemicals found in the plant used to make marijuana. More than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco-related deaths each year. One-third of young people just "experimenting" with cigarettes end up being addicted by the time they are 20. Seventy-six percent of Illinois teens don't smoke cigarettes, and 62 percent don't drink alcohol. Regular drinking kills brain cells which can make the brain wither away. Even at low doses, alcohol significantly impairs judgment and coordination to drive a car safely. Some Illinois City Councils have created specific ordinances to ticket non-drinking youths for attending parties where alcohol is consumed. Did You Know . . . Nine out of 10 Illinois eighth-graders don't smoke or chew tobacco, while eight out of 10 don't drink alcohol. In Illinois, the number of teens last year using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs like LSD were the lowest they've been since 1990. More teens are staying drug-free. Drug use is down nationally, even though almost one quarter of sixth-graders, one-third of seventh-graders and almost half of eighth-graders have had someone try to sell or give them drugs. Most youth reported not wanting to be friends with classmates who use drug (75 percent of fifth-graders, 64 percent of sixth-graders and 53 percent of seventh-graders). Marijuana not only causes problems with memory and learning, it can also increase your chance of having a heart attack. Smokers have a dulled sense of taste and smell, low energy for exercise and sports, and they smell like smoke. After smoking for a long time, smokers' skin ages faster and their teeth turn brown. Ecstasy use can ultimately damage your memory, appetite and mood. Brain damage from inhalant abuse can result in personality changes, diminished cognitive functioning, memory impairment, and slurred speech. Did You Know . . . Some of the long-term effects of huffing include muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression. The street terms for inhalants include Amys, Bolt, Bullet, Glading, Hardware, Hippie Crack, Locker room, Poppers and Snappers, Bang, Boppers, Climax, Gluey, Head cleaner, Kick, Poor man's pot, Rush, and Toncho (octane booster). Huffing household chemicals can make your heart stop or suffocate you, even if you try it just once. The short-term effects of huffing include dizziness, strong hallucinations, delusions, belligerence, apathy, and impaired judgment. Sudden sniffing death (SSD) may result within minutes of inhalant abuse from irregular heart rhythm leading to heart failure. Chronic inhalant abuse may result in serious and irreversible damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and brain. Underage drinking is not a victimless crime; very often people seriously injure themselves and others with drunken stupidity. Using alcohol at an early age dramatically increases the risk factor for alcoholism later in life. Sources: Freevibe, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, American Medical Association, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Public Health Department, American Lung Association, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Chicago Sun-Times, and National Drug Intelligence Center, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Substanceabuse.about.com, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and University of Michigan Institute for Social Research The Geppetto Group Transitions from 5th to 8th grade, Teens and Illegal Drugs 2000 Illinois Youth Study on Substance Abuse 2002 Illinois Youth Study on Substance Abuse Partnership for a Drug-Free America National Institute on Drug Abuse White House Office of National Drug Control Policy National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism