Survey shows increase in teen marijuana use

By Staff Writer

According to data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more kids and teens are smoking marijuana at younger ages.

CNN reports that from 2008 to 2009, there was a 9 percent increase of people age 12 or older who use marijuana. During the same time period, the average age of first-time marijuana users decreased to 17 years old.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told CNN that parents need to know why marijuana use early on in a child's life can be dangerous.

"We recognize that American families are facing many challenges today, but failing to adequately prevent young people from using drugs now can lead to a lifetime of devastating consequences," Kerlikowske said in a press release announcing the data.

Since the human brain is still developing throughout the teen years and in to a person's 20s, the Office of National Drug Control Policy says that using marijuana at the age of 12 can lead to addiction, respiratory illness, weakened motor skills and cognitive impairment while the child smokes, and for years after a person quits.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, early experimenters and smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to experience various behavioral problems by grade 12.