Clark County Youth Risk Behavior Results Find More Youth Using Marijuana
Monday, June 5th, 2017 -- 9:53 AM
-During the fall of 2016, students across Clark County were surveyed about a range of topics that contribute to their health. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a statewide survey designed to monitor and identify areas of risky behaviors among adolescents. The Clark County YRBS was completed by 546 high school students and 335 middle school students. In this edition, we will focus on marijuana use.Marijuana use saw slight increases in all survey areas compared to 2014 data. Although results indicate an increase in availability and a decrease in perception of harm, all survey areas remain well below the state and national average. In the last 30 days before the survey, 7.1% (39) of Clark County high school students reported using marijuana one or more times (2014, 5.6%). Fifteen percent (84) reported using marijuana one or more times in their life (2014, 12.1%). Marijuana use before the age of 13 increased to 3.7% (20), a one percent increase from 2014.
Similar to the high school survey results, marijuana use among middle school students also increased in all categories. The percentage of students who have used marijuana once in their life increased from .6% in 2014 to 4.2% in 2016 (15). Percentage of students who have used marijuana during the past 30 days increased from zero to 1.8% (6). The amount of students who feel their parents would think it is wrong or very wrong for them to use marijuana decreased from 95.2% in 2014 to 89.9% in 2016.
As legalization efforts continue across the U.S., it is becoming increasingly difficult to talk to teens about the dangers of marijuana; however, this is precisely why these types of conversations are important. Recent advancements in brain imaging technology have shown the detrimental effects of substance use on gray matter and neural connectivity. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a brain imaging study has shown that regular users of marijuana have less gray matter than nonusers of the drug in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region that contributes to impulse control and learning.
There is also concern that adolescents may be uniquely susceptible to lasting damage from marijuana use - at least until the early or mid-20s. "The brain is still under construction," says Staci Gruber, PhD, a neuroscientist and director at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. During this period of neurodevelopment, the brain is thought to be particularly sensitive to damage from drug exposure. In teens, the frontal cortex is one of the last areas to fully develop. This region is critical to planning, judgment, decision-making and personality, Gruber says.
When talking to teens, it is important to reiterate the fact that even in states with legalized marijuana the legal age is 21. However, like alcohol, use and overuse can have adverse effects on the body.
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