ED 185 485

AUTHORTITLE

r. INSTITUTION

REPORT NOPUB DATECONTRACTNOTEAVAILABLE FROM

1DOCOWENT RESCUE

CG 014 363

Manatt, Marsha. Parents, Peers ardNational Trst..on Drug Abuse (DREW/HS), RockvilleeMd. Div. of Pesource-Development.DHEW-ADM-79-81279'

271-77-4515; 271-70-4655105p:'

Superintendent'of Documents, U.S. Government PrintingOffice! Washingtor, DC 20402 (Stock No.'017-024-00q41-9); National ClearinghouSe for DrugAbuse.Informa+to,), Room 10A56 Parklawn Euilding, 56"00Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20657 (single.copies, nOprice given).

4

EDRS PRICE 'MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. .

DESCRIPTORS *Adolescents; Communi47y Programs; *Crug Abuse; *Drugpucation; Family (Sociolotlical Unit).; Marihuana;*Ptirent Chn.d. Pelationship;'Parent Influence; *Parent-Responsibility; Peer Counseling; Peer Influence;*Preventicn,

-ABSTpACTr- This book lonks at the'problem Cf drug abuse,

particularly the use of marihuana by chtldrer ages 9 to.14, anddescribes one strategy parerts can use to prevent drug use by theirchildren. On\the premise 'that nonmedical drug use is not acceptablefor chil.drear) parents need to provide gui.dance itnd exercisediscipline with respect to drug use Among children. The evolution ofthe drug culture and the riskq of adolescent marihuana use are

.explored. A guide is presented for parents wh,o want to prevent orstop their children from using drdgs.-Included is a discussimn of theexperience of neighborhood parents in a subtrb of Atlinta, Georgia,as they worked to stop drug use,among 4-A42Aren 15 years of age andyounger. (CC) . .

4

1.4

***********************************************************************Reproductions supplied by Epps are the hest that can be made- *

from the original document.

IaMs DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

6 EDUCATION WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

and DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHIS DOCUMENT

THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION

!EDUCATION

11AS BEEN REPRO.

ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS

SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INST TUTE OFEDO( A T ION POSITION OR POL ICY

STATED DO NOT NECESSARIL REPRE

byMarsha Manatt, Ph.D.

for' theNational InsOute on Drug Abuse

U.S. Department of Health, Edkation, and WelfarePublic Health Service

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration

Prevention Branch. Division of Resource Drelopment

National Institute on Drug Abuse-

6600 Fishers LaneRockville, Maryland 20867

Material contained in this volume except for copyrightedmaterials is in the public domain,"-and mayjpe used andrePrinted without obtaining permiss.ion from.the Insti-tute or the author. Citation as to 4oburce is appreci-.ated. Permission has been obtained from the copyrightholders to Teproduce certainaquotcd.matorial, . Furtherreproduction of these quotations is prohibited withoutspecific permission 'If the copyright holder.

Permission to quote has been obtained for the followingcopyrighted extraCts:

pp. 28, 29, 33, 36-37, 58-59, 61-62, 65-66, and 79--Rosenthal and Mothner 1972. From DrugsL_Parents, .

And Children, by Mitcheil Rosenthal and IraMothner. Copyright (c) 1972 by Mitchell S.

.

Rosenthal and Ira Mothner. Reprinted by permis-.sion of Houghton Mifflin Co.

pp. 31, 47, and 55--Rigert and Shellum 1977. Reprintedwith permission from the Minneapolis Tribune.

pp. 32, 67, and 69-70--Bronfenbenner 1977. Reprintedfrom Psychology Today Magazine copyright (c)1977, Ziff Davis Publishing Co.

pp. 35 and 52--Ryback 1976. Reprinted, by permissiontfrom the New _England Journal of Medicine (Jan. 1,1976, p.

p. 77--Ryback 1975. Reprinted, by perMission, from theNew England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 2, 1975,pp.-719-20).

0

MEW P ication No. (ADM) 79-812Printid 1979

a

The material contained herein does not neces-sarily reflect the opinions, official policy,or position' of,the Naional Institute on Drug

.Abuse of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental'Health Administration, Public Health.Service,U.S. Department of Health, Education, andWelfare:

w 4 ..44P+0

) This book was prepared for the PreventionBranch, Division of Resource Development, ofthe National Institute on Drug Abuse undercontract Nos..271-77-4515 and 271-78-4655.

forewordThis book is about families and drug abuse. It is par-ticularly about the use of marijuana by children:Marijuana is more readily.available and Used tar morewidely now than it was 10 years ago. For children ages 7

to _-14r Itariju-ana use rai.ps special concerns.

This book describes one strategy for how parents canwork to prevent marijUana use by their children. Theauthor's posaion is tbat.nonmedical drug use is notacceptable for children. In a day when self-expressionand freedom of choice are common themes in raisingchildren, this book is a reminder to parents of theirimportant role in providing guOance and exercisingdiscipline.

The author, Marsha Manatt, is both a parent and a.pro-fessional educator. She has been closely involved in aneighborhood action group, described in fictionalizedform in the first chapter. She hiap observelpi a greatdeal about young people, incluang their culturalenvironment and the ways ilicWhich parents can have apositive influence on them.

Increaging numbers ot children and teenagers are becom-ing involved with marijuana. One out of nine of the1974 high school graduating class-smoked marijuanaevery,-day; three out of five reported having used it atleast once--miny by the age of 12. While not everyoneagrees on the implications of research into this Contro-versial drug, one fact is indisputable:

,Preadolescents and adolescents should not use. marijuana. This is a period ,of intensegrowth'and change. Regular use of. marijuanacan interfere with learming and deVelopmentit a crucial stage.

Parents Aeed to understand that marijuana is easilyavailagle to youngsters ahd that its use is consideredacceptable behavior by many.. -Parents alp() need to knowwhat to do. This bo9k sets forth one practical approachfor dealing with marijuana use, based on one community'ssuccessful experience. It is not intended as a parlAceaand will not eit, everyone's philosophy. However, forparents who are troubled by drug abuse among theirchildren, the book should provide many useful experi-encs, facts, and suggestiong for dealio with theproblem.. Thpre are many other ways to)prevent the use

MAR 3 1 1980

r.

and abuse of drugs. Peer counseling, cross-age tutoring,career/life planning and decisionmaking, and the develop-ment of alternatives to taking drugs have all.beenshown to be effective community and school-based preven-tion approaches.

Parental PeersL'andyot is intended specifically forparents of children ayes 9 to 14, although some of theihformation may be useful to parents yf older teenagers-as well. It is written with the understanding that dhyaction parents take.concerning their children's use ofdrugs must_be based on love, responsible guidance,discipline, and, above all, respedt for their children.Distinctions between experimental use, occasiodal use,and heavy use should be kept in mind, in deciding ohcourses of action.

9

Pollin, M.Q.Director

- National Institute on Drug Abuse

cr.

iv

acknowledgmentsI am grateful to Dr. Robert L. DuPont, former directorof the National Institute on Drug Abuse, for his sympathywith parental concern about adolescent drug Use, hisencourogement of local parent action groups, and hissupport for the national parents' movement to teducedrug us@ .by American children. From the earlieststages of this effort, NIDA staff ahd Tom Adams of thePrevention Branch's Pyramid Project have helped withresearch information, technical assistance, and personalcontacts. Further support has come from Drs. Thomas.Gleaton, Ingrid Lantner, and Richard Hawley, from JudyKiely, Pat Barton, Sue.Rusche, Susan Warren, AnoieHammock, Peggy Mann, and man6, other concerned parentsand dedicated citizens. But, most of all, the beginningof this movement depended upon the honesty and commitmentof one Courageous mother, Vivian Williams.

Marsha Manatt, Ph.D.

Single copies of Parents,. Peers, and Pdt mayo dered

ational qlearinghouse for DrugAbuse Information 1

ROom 10A56, Parklawn Building5600 Fishers LaneRockvitlre, Maryland 20857

Bulk quantities may be Ina-chased from:

Superintendent of DocumentsU.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C. 20402_

(There is a 25 percent discount given onorders of 100 or more'copies.)

Stock No. 017-024-00941-5-

los

4

_

C

A

contentsFOREWOJ2D

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1. LEARNING THE HARD WAY: PARENTS,PEERS, AND POT

,page

iii

1

2. THE FAMILY VERSUS THE DRUG CULTURE 22

The evolution of the drug Culture 22

What you are up against 1k-

24

The popular youth culture /A sometimes misinfOrmed orbia§ed media

The commercialized drug cultureThe strenghtening of peer-' dominated values and behaviorWeake d traditional authorities

and i stitutionsFragmented family ties

24

2526

28

2932

3. WHAT YOU MAY FACE IF YOUR

34

34

CHILD STARTS USING DRUGS.

Adolescent marijuana use: what ,

arp the odds and the risks?

The physical effects o marijuanaiand the implications or children

and adolescents 37Psychological and emotionalproblems associated,withadolescent marijuana use 47

The sequential pattern of drug useand its.possible impact on the

\ adolescent 50The marijuana legal situation--

'

roots and ramifications 55

vi i

contents (Continued)

4. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PRVVENT ORSTOP YOUR CHILD FROM USING DRUGS

What you can do within your own family

page

1.58

60

What you can.do within your neighborhood 65

Work with other parents to developmeaningful alternatives to drug use

'If you are a working single_parent or working couple

If you use legal or iflegal drugs, thinkabout possible effects on yout children

. 6 8

, 69

71

5. HOW PARENTS CAN WORK WITH THE SCHOOLAN THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE A HEALTHIER,N DRUG-ORIENTED ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNGSnRS 73

Use of parent-teacher organizations

Work with patents, PTA, and othqrcommunity leaderg

REFERENCES

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

WENDIX

viii

73

76

81

89.

95

1. learning the hafrd way;parents, peers, and pot

Although it was a hot,..mmggy August evening, the bigbackyard--aglow with lanterns end dotted with balloons--looked festive as Kathy.and helf parents prepared towelcome a crowd of Kathy's friends for a barbecue andbirthday'party. The Allens had been surprised andpleased when their daughter asked if she could invitesome friends-over to celebrate her 13th birthday. Foryears, the familyllad enjoyed holiday and birthdaycelebrations t9gether; they were gregarious and therehad Always beeh a houseful of kids--playing, talking,danc&g, having a good time in their home. But duringthe past year, the jovial atMosphere had,changed,-largely because the oldest child had underOne subtle,but vaguely distUrbing, personality changes.

Formerly a model 'child, 'cheerful, thoughtful, andtesponsible, Kathy had become increasingly eitherirritable and.restless or lethargic and wahdrawn.Once she had been close to her parents and hospitableto her friends, but now she no longer seemed "at home"in her own home. She rarely invited friends over,especially the many new ones. "Yukl." "jt would be soembarrassing!" "There's, nothing to do herel"--thesewere her explanations as she bolted out the front doorto meet her friends somewhere else. The phone rangconstantly and new voices often asked for Kathy; some-times, the callers hung Alp abruptly when the`parentsanswered. There might be nothing.to ao at home, butthere certoainly seemed to be something to do somewhere.

Kathy's parents Leas.sured themselves tihat it was proba-bly just\ a phase-other parents dgabribed similarsituations. The Allens tried ko maintain an affection-ate, cordial famill atmosphere', to understand whyschool was now a "bummer" and a "hassle," and to Igettheir children more involved,in familiar, fun activities.But the tennis team was a drag, the school dances were

300-1010 U 11

dumb, and :schoolwork was always boring. When summercame, they were relieved to send Kathy off, to visitrelativesin another parC of the country. Somethingnow seemed vaguely unhealthy about growing up,in theirlovely, tree-lined.neighborhood.

When.JKathy returned in August, she seemed 1,ike her oldself--high-spirited, energetic, full of plans andlaughter, and glad to be home. Though some of the oldpatterns sporadically emerged in the next weeks, herrequest to have the birthday party seemed to be ageture both.of reconciliation to her parents ahd ofhospitakity to her friends. The parents would soonlearn thaC it was a gesture of much.more--a subcon-scious way of flaunting the realities of her peer worldand a cry for help.

404.00000,4000.6

At 7:00 the doorbell began ringing. Mr. Allen, barbecu-ing piles of hamburgers, welcomed the early arrivals,introduced,himself .o those he hadn't met before, andsmiled at the clumsiness and eagerness of the 12- to14-year-olds as the boys and girls gathered in separategroups in the backyarp. Kathy Allen put on rock recordsand opened presents. The.evening seemed to be off to agood start. In the kitchen, the parents laughed atmemories of similarly torturous evenings ih the fifties,when they were teenagers.

But it gradually became apparent that this party wasn'tgoing to end up like "Happy pays." The mountains ofhamburgers apd chips,were largely ignored; the cokesstayed in the ice bucket. Groups of youngsters disap:peared into the darker corners of the backyard; others--often with unfamiliar faces--streamed in from thestreet arid other yards. An eighth-grade girl tried to.use the telephone and couldn't get her fingers in the

^ dial-; her eyes were red and bleary, and she mumbledincoherently as,,she pushed by,Mrs. Allen. An olderboy--was he 17-or 18?--barged through the Kitchen andrefused to introduce himself. Two 14-year-old girlsleft abruptly without saying goodby. A pretty 42-year-old clung pathetically to an older boy as he lurchedinto the batbliwm. Cars fined with older teenagerscruised up and down the street, and shouts of "Where'sthe party?" and "We've,got the stuff!" could be heardover the gunned motors and_ Screeching tires. On thepatio, there were no party games or dancing. Kathyseemed increasingly nervous and.sat blank faced with acouple of friends by the still-qaden table.

4'rom an upstairs window, Mr. Allen saw flickeringlights in the deep backyard. "They'lre smoking ciga-rettes," he surmised with an uneasy smile, and image4of smoking behind the barn came to his mind. But his

21

wife, having just been.shoved'asideby 4-pale-boy inthe kitchen, thought'to herself, 'Heavens, I think he'sstoned!". As me. Allen headed to the baCki a shout wentout,' "He's cominO"' A coupte of girls, ones he knewwell frob the neighborhood,' Stopped hilm'and"They're,just.sooking cigarettes; we'll, get hem tostop.", Feeling 'both foo1ishp. and .,w(A.ried' he: .

bild the groups to cut O.ut the. 'smoking, and to comeback, to_ thy lighted parts of Oe yard And e t theirhambUrgersk But the dikids Were no longer having funand, although-a few Were still da,ncing, the party waseffectively over:. The Allens told the (oungsters itwag time to-call.thoir parents. Some parents did cometo pick-up their.kids, sepre.kids did, pay 'thank yOu"for the ,evening, but, d disturbing.numbee of them justtook 'off' without a word. Althodgh ft was late,.thenervous young ,hostess and a couple .of her friends.inSisted on cleaning up the backyard.

VWith the house quiet again, Mr.- And Mrs. Allen tried tocollect their thoughts. What was gOing on? Fleetingvisions, of kids with, red eyes and :'stumbling walks wentthrough their minds. Were Chese4children impossiblyrude or were they stoned? The Allens didn't think ofthemplves as naive; they had.see-n pot smoking among !college students and adults.. But these children Weremainly seventh and eighth graders--nice and attTactiveyoung peopld, too young for all that. Although they-felt guilty for not trusting their guests, the'parenkswent,out with.flashlights and crawled intoAevely cornerof the big yard. No; it wasn't like "Ildrfloy',Days;"Despite the cleanup, there were still marijuana buttg,small plastic bags with dope reMnants, homemade roachclips, cans of malt liquor, and pop wine bottles. Theparents felt baffled and slightly sick.

The next morning, the.Allens told Kathy that they wereupset about the behavior of her friends and that theywere going to find out what was going on. They askedfor her invitation list and sent her off on an all-dayouting. Then Mrs. Allen sat down by the telephone andcalled the parents of Kathy's friends Qne by,one. Shetold them that there seemed to be a problem, that someoflithe young people seemed to be smoking dope .anddtinking, and although it wasn't clear which .childrenwere involved, the parents should peobably all gettogether and balk about it. The parents' reactions ranthe gamut--shock, confusion, 'indignation, concern,denial, anefrom a handful, hostility. The hostilereactions were' unnerving--"What business is it ofyours?" "The kids must not like or respect you; I getalong great with them oneheir own level." "Why are .

you so uptight abo4 marijuana? I bet you drink."Fina-lly Mrs. Allen decided to go door to door to meetthe remaining parents. After several sour conversations

3

. .

with nerVous, evasive, denying parents, she knockedhesitantly on one6last door.. A mot4er answered and,after learning whdt th visit &xis about and hearingMrs. Allen's questiOn---"Do youNnow what' 4. going onwith the.kids?"---she leaned forward and asked, "Do youreally want to know?, I mean really?"

Th.0 laSC, halfhearted knock was answered-by a concernedand honest_ parent Of a.drag-uSing child. Mrs. Hardyhad learned the har'd way that dope was beceming a seem-

; ingly normal And casual rite of passage, tor youngsterslust, beginning ,their transition into adolescence.

Slit explained to Mrs..t.len'that she had become,con-.

cetned when her san'ti. peYsomalicty began to change.pavid graduallvtost ineerest in/both school\and sports..He had, trouble'.sl4pingc his appietite was ofratic, andho.became moody And uncommunicative. Because DavidwaS

E hex oldest son, for a while Mrs. Hardy clung to the:belief what this behavior was a nOrmal symptom of'puberty. When she began to suspect that drugs wereinvolved and to investigate' this suspicion, she receivedlittle help. Few parents would tall1.about it. TheAruq.abuse counselor shespoke to told her not. toworry, "+farijuana isn't addictive. Xid's will experiment."

Tlien o%le night David 4ad a series of convulsions. Thenext_ mprning, Mrs. Hardy took him to the family pedia-trician. -When the doctor saw Davia and heard the story

' of the-last months,'he spent a long time talking toboth mother and son. He explained that the convulsionswere .probably caused by,a man dana joint-laced with[ACP. he told them that a , .of, Marijuana,should be taken serious 1-':ven if it is only experimen-

, tal. He advised Mrs. ardy to trusk her'obsrvationsthqf pot smoking was h rmful to her son., And net...to beintimidated by the bent* image of mariji.iattal5role.ctedky the media". The pediatrician. also gave. her An Articlefrom a medical maglAine/that explained the'phySiOlogicalprocesses Of marillOna.: intoxication and ,desitbedbehavioral syMptom,of the young pot user.

;-

Mrs. Hardy went home, read' the article, and called a,number,of.paprits, hoping to.share what'she,had leatmed.She invitedthe4 to her home to discustf ttie localmarijuana.sauation. Her son, still shaken y his PCP;-:.experience, .waS relieved that she had:galled his'friends' parents. He made an exhibit of dOpe.partipher7nalia--bent papet clips to hold thIrmarijuana "roach,"plaAtic bags of dregano reseMbliny the "niekel bags"available at school, vials of sugar to simulato*PCP andcocaine, and -written descriptions'of how various dru4sand gadgets. worked. HOwever, only a small number Oft.he parents.; khowed up. .!;ome of them were alreadyvaguely Awaed of:;their child's pot smoking and drinking,

4'

,.

4.

but they weren't anxious to learn more. The parentsall felt helpless; 'the whole problem seemed too big tounderstand, much less to control. Thpy exchAriged vayuewishes for better times ahead and went home with no nbwsense of direction.

Soon Mrs. Hardy'S son became the objeCt of systematicharassment.at school; after all, he'd "narcedg--informedon_his friends' drug actiVities. Frightened by tales ',trpm older boys about what happens to'"narcs,",hebegged his parents to stay out of it. Gradually, the .

olokdrug personality began to surface again. Davidspent more and more tile away from'home, and the phonerang constantly.- Bqt this time the Hardys, kept a listof tho callers and -refused to l.et David talk to thosewho wouldn't identify bhemselvgs. Mrs. Hardy calledschoOl authorities.("We 4on't have a drug problem inthis school"), drug counselors ("Don't overreact!"),and pai-ents of suspected users ("Not my kidl Can youprove it?"). Mr. and Mrs. Hardy *felt isOlated andhelpless. ,They bega 4i. to leel more like police thanparents.

When Mrs. Hardy :#11vished tW. story, she asked hervisitor, "Now, do you want to know who's involveck,be,sides my son, at least as far ag I can figure out?"With no idea of thn responsiliility and pain this wouldgenerate in the coming months, Mrs. Allen answered,"Yes; of course." Reading over a list of names, largelygarnered from the telephone callers, Mrs: Allen wasstartled to siie her own daughter, many children she'dknown s.).r.4 they were in kindergarten; a.ninth-gradetennis' star, the girl voted -"most 'frietldly" in theeighth grade-7a wholecovey of "nice, norMal ki4s" from"close, happy' familieg." There also was a disturbingsprinkling of older teenagers, the "unfami-liar" oneswho had appeared at the birthday party, only to leave afew minutes later. Mrs. ATlen realized that the dopeliet matched the party list. All of Kathy's friends.were involved.

'In spite of her preyious'experlences, Mrs. Hardy agreedto help the Allens call an riformal meeting of localparents. About 30 parents.showed up. The Allons hadknown a few for years, but most were passing acquaint-anOes o.r strangers. It struck them that their neighbor-hood was not really a community. Their children allknew eaCh othor, but the paraNts did hot.

' Mr. Allen ol?ened the meeting by aAsuring the group thatneither they nor their rhildren were 'being accused of.anything. 'ile didn't know for sure what Was going on,which chil4rOn were involVed, or whether it, was aserious problem. 4Int'The backyard party provided hiswife and himcwith a.glimpbe into A child's'world that '

or

5

11'

they had not known existed. It'had made their childseem like a stranger. The thing%to keep in mind, Mr.Allen said, was that the children were not'strangers.toeach other. The world outside their homes Was unfamiliarto the parents, but the kids all lived in it together.

Just then, a mother interrupted, "I'm not sdure why I mhere. My son is not involved in any of. this." "How doyou know?" Mr. Allen asked. "Because I asked him'rightbefore I came7-'You aren't using drugs, are you?' andhe looked.Me right in the eye and sai& 'No.'" A tallman swallowed hard, -looked around the room, and said,"Folks, let's all be,honest; it's going to hurt, butit's for the sake of all our kids." Thtn he turned to-the objecting mother, introduced himself as Mr. Rizzo,and said, "I hate to disillusion you, but your sonsells,pot to mine in the woods behind my house:'.. Theylike to get high before catching the schoolbus.". Themother's jaw dropped and tears sprang to her eyes. Mr.Rizzo then continued, "It's been hard enough for me tograsp that my 15-year-Old Son uses pot. But when Iheard about fhis birthday party, .I barged into my12-year-old daughter's room; I didn't say, 'You're notsmoking pot are you?' I asked a lawyer's question--'Were you smoking pot along with Johnny, Susie, Anna,and the other kids in the Allen's backyard on FridaynighW Caught oft Tiard, she saiA, 'Yes, Daddy. All

4 the kids were,' as if it were the most obvious thing inthe world. "Come oh, folks, let's pool our informationIt'Skgoing to.hurt our kids more in the long-run if wedon't, know-what's happening." Another father adAed,"The kids know why we're here tonight; they know what'sgoing pn. Let's not,go back home with out blinders on,or they'll recognize that we're still blind."

Ono by one, various paredts volunteered what they knew,susppyted, or worried about. S'45me' parents had ques-tioned their children before coming to the meetingisome voiced suspicions about other people's kids; somementioned rumors about older teenagefs. Gradually, animage of an alien world within their own,communitybegan to emerge, populated by their own children. Mostof the park'nits realized that their relationships withtheir children had deteriorated during the past months.Most had -conjured up a scapegoat in someone else'schild--Suzie is a bad influence; John's parents don'tdisciplim; him brieugh; Anna 4s always over at.Jearils.The parents suddenly burst out laughing-T.-each parent'schild seemed to be someone else's scapegoat!

For Mrs. Hardy, the outburst of lauqhter was i greatbreakthrough. Hor looyl David, had obviously been a lotof people's scapegoat, but because of ignorance ratherthan malice. With a menr.ching look at the. other parents,she id, "First, I want you to know how much I love my

I

KA

12-year-old .son and how much this ts going to hurt me'to tpll you." Then she recounted the incidents of thepast year and the traumatic night of the overdose. Shedescribed how and from whom, her son obtained drugs,whom he in turn bad given them to, mid t en glie.readthe list of all the kids who had yllephon d hiit. theparents began to realize that their chil ren's subcul-ture was highly organized. A fifth gr der regularlyshoplifted marijuana rolling papers fr m the cornervariety store. A tall 10th grader'made fake IDs andbought pOp wines from carelegs supermarket clerks.. ,An /angelic-looking 12-year-old, with phioglgils And braces,shared her generous 'allipwance with friends, s'So theycould have a rady supply of mariju'ana. An eighihgrader supplied eyedrups from..his father's pharmacy so'his friends could "get the red out" before going home"to supper. Most of the cast of the junior high falentshow bolstered their spirits with pot and booze, sup-plied by older teenagers in the school parking lot.

At the end of the evening, the parents in the Allen's'living room looked around at each other.with amazement.The evening had been a.cross between an amateur eiscoun'-ter session, an investigative episode from "Kojak," anda Marx Brothers' scenario. Vowing to get to the bottomof the problem and to never again.be su stupid, theparents planned to meet again in 3 days.

During the next fewdays, the parents worked to familiar-ize themselves with the terrain of their children'ssubculture. Some parents quc_itioneC teacherS at school-Yes, there had been puzzling behavior changes, such asdisciplinary problems and falling grades among many ofthe children. Some teachers, especially the youngerones, suspected pot, but no parents had been notified.Schoolbus drivers reported incidents of smoking andbullying on the buses) a few realized that many kidspassed.joint.s and got high ak the bus stops. Chaperonesof the'teen canteen dance reported being annoyed at thetrafflc'in and out of the hall and at the inordinatetime kids spent in the bathrooms, but it never occurredto Chem that they were dealing and smoking marijuana.Employees of a pinball.parlor, where young kids congre-gated, admitted there was a lot of "dope blowing" butclaimed'they, weren't responsible; the parelifs.learnedlater-that the manager provided hiding places for theyoungsters' dope when adults happened by.

A local .s6permarket mnaer Idmitted to being carelessin checking ips.for alcohol sales and then complained,

oF the connection, about all *ttose kidshanging around in his parking lot. The salesman in agift shop protested bitterlY about all.the shopliftingby junior-high students ("Those punks have no respectfOr the law"); that, the main object was his stock of

7

paraphornalil for the illegal use of'drugs seemedirrelevant to him. Security officers at a nearbycollege adMitted that lots 9f.young kids hung around

the campus; they' felt sheepish' for not realiiing that12-year-olds basking in the sun at noon-on a schooldaywere stoned as, well ds truant. Local police were notsurprised y the wents' questions or revelations:"MariIiiarn is eviry?where, like rhe air, in our schopl

system; 's as easy-to get as apples,", s'aid an officerin the uth division. But, because of the attitude ofschool authorities, the ignorance and complacency ofparents, and the muddled legal situation concerningmarijuana, the police could do 1.1ttle to help.

Several other parents went to drug abuse centUrs,mental health clinics, and psychologists.* seeking0(nformation and printed inaterialS on marijuana to bringto.the next_meeting. They were surprised by the attitufeof many counselors and professionals in the field, whoadmonished theM for "getting all uptight" about pot andseemed interested only in cases of hard-drug addiction.l'he parents were also Shocked to learn that, despite alarge complex of drug and alco4o1 tratment facilities,

there were no enters or resources for dealing withyourw marijuana isers who were not yet multidrng abusersor addicts.

,

The pamphlets and brochures stated that marijuanaseemed less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, withoutmentionintj that,'like aLlcohol, marijuana impairs motor

functions, and like tobacco, it irritates the throatand lungs. That all three were commonly used togetheralso was ignored. Parents could not find materialsthat related to'what they,had. observed and worried

about in their children. Feeding confused and angry atthe attitude of the.experts, the parents resolved to '.

-nd -out all they could about mArijuana effects onyo nger children. They were.beginning to realize thatth(_ were tip against a wall of official complacency and'iqn ranee. They wanted to know the facts before theyatt mpted to challengp the drug culture.

Duriig these 3,days, the parents also tried to question

their children. They s.00n learned that naive questions...elicited little information. The drug brochures,,OXhorting parents to be,good listeners, made if sound

too easy. The children did not' have to lie Co mislead

.their parents half-truths and omissions covered up a,

lot. Like Mr. Rizzo, "however, the. arents learned to

ekOet9 "lawyer's questions"--those whi i use informationalready obtained to dislodge neW iNn rmation. One

father told his daughter, "I'm going pver to talk with

the,Joneses, Smiths, and.BroWns. If there is more toknow about your marijuana smoking'and your drinking,F'd rather hear it first irom you than from them."

8

a

Once the children realized that.the paren s %4e4re findingout. things anyway, they began to open' up Though the"never narc on your friends".code initial y made.this aconfuSing'and. painful process for them, the childrenseemed relieved: The first revelation, gained' consist-ently from all the children, was .,,the casualhess oftheir attitudes about marijuana usk.

The first parents' meeting caused most parents to dosome painful soul 'searching. Did they spend enoughtime with their 16.ds? Did their own social drinkinghave a bad influence? Did they discipline and teachvalues well enough? Were they failures as parents? `ylk

But none of the children made such accusations. Accord--5inq to them, they smoked pot and drank because it wasnormal and "cool," because drugs were easily available,and because most of their friends' did. .Choruses of"But everybody does it!" rang in the parents' ears.Surprisingly, even childTen who were not users told"their parents the same things: "No; I haven't toked orboozed," Said 12-year-old Mary, "but if 1 wanted ko, Iknow where to getdtuga/owithin 5 minutes, Tes; most'ofthe kids do, but I haven't yet. No; I can't tell youOeir namesi that's narcing."

By the time'the parents met again, they had learned alot about the youthful drdy world. During this secondmeeting, most of the parents willingly divulged whatthey had learned abdut their own children; what theyhad observed or worried about; and what neighbors,teachers, and other children had told them. Now thatthey had familiarized themselves'with the slang andgialgets of the drug culture, the parents recognized thepresence of drug paraphernalia in their own homes..Marijuana'rolling papers, pities', and bongs turned up'during house cleaning. School yearbooks and scrapbookswere filled with drug slang, boasts about "gettingwasted," exhortations to "toke it, smoke it, strokeit," and notices of where to get ",good stuff." Closetsre full of T-shirts'and posters extolling "grass; aud

"s w" (marijuana'and cocaine). Photos ,and souvenirsfrom church camps and vacation spots revealed thatgetting high was as common as swimming and tennis. Theparents also realized that theiT chilOren were not goodeceivers. They had left clues everywhere, but theparents had never known to look. ,7the parents hadtrusted their children, but had not known that theyshould 'not trust ,thei,r children's environmeht.

A handful of parents sat siiently through this secohdsession,' contributing little, a ing, no questions, andevading the inquiri6S of ot.heyi The vocal parents'moved fi'om intensely painful fvlt ions to ludicrousaccounts of mistaken -"clues" atid bungled "detectivework." One mother.heard her son telMla friend that he

1

10o,m1t,

9

1 ()

1:e

wanted Mote "wheatios"; not knowing that he referred towhat marijuana" rolling papers, she stockeA more break-Ost cereal. A father found a lot ot eyedrop bottlesdnd asked a.pharmacist friend to run tests on the dropsto'find out how the kids got high on it. After.hOurof testing, the pharmacist reported, "Someone is reallyripping off the kids; there's no way they can get high'on eyedrops." A.boy washed his tennis shoes down tothreads Iwcause his parents, mistaking the smell of potfor dirty tennis shoes, orde ed nightly washing.

As the discusgion continu d, e passive parents gradu-ally.became isolatN1 trm e vocal parents. When a-mdtheT spontaneousry a ed one of the silent ones," "Doyou think my Karen an 'your Steve were smoking pot thattime we saw them u _r the bridge, and they looked soblearyeye'd," she eceived the abrupt reply, "No; dfcourse not, .my boy does not have a drug problem." Whena father mentioned to another father, one he had knownfor yeais, that the ki'ds said they oft n filched boozefrom'tVatter's bar, the "4ilent" f her burst out,"I'm Y6 ing sick and tiredirof everyb dy accusing mkidsl" When the Allens f.'riir to draw out anothercouple, whose oldest 'son had developed serious polydrugproblems and whose youngest son was a major deale'r tohis eighth-gradeveers, the couple denied all knowledge

.

of'drug problems. "Our LB-year-old dropped out of.school because olrtiyslexia, learning disabijities; our13-year-old-son plAys around some'with marijuana; theyall do, but he likes his beer and cigarettes better."As ttie parents began to formialate a course of action--rangrny froM punishment to reeducation--one oouple keptshaking their heads, saying, "It will never work;' wecan't stop them. Most of their time is spent with ''their friends, at school and away f,rom home.I

That defeatist adMonition caught the,. ottier parentsshOrt. In many ways, ,the most disturbing aspect of-theyoung people's drug culture was its apparent distanceand independence from the home. The rituals of drugsupply and use had gradually become a lifestyle withitg own behavioral pAtterns and ethical values. For.th4 ids, it had all the attractiveness of a complicatedgame alie- all the lure of adventure. Moreover, itvemed to be reinforced by rock music, popular magazines,TV, and movies. The primary values of the- drug culturewere ignoble,-first, shee'r commercial greed; second,lack Of ,concern for the younger and more vulnerable endof the "drug market"; third, the ideal of intoxicationas the highest social and experiential goal (gettingfried, loaded, stoned, ripped,- or, most apt a2id fright-ening', wasted and brain burned)t Purthermore,.Fegardlessof what kind of parents or what kind of persodality aohild hal, when s/he turned on the radio, went to amovie, left the houseA/he cattle into contact with'the

1 0

A

o. drug culture: As David HardT told his mother, "A kidhas a, drug pro4lem the minute that kid walks out thefront door, because the drug,s are all around."

Suddenly, Mr. Greenstnin blurted out, "It angers methat we-are expect4d to sit back and take this--thisvictimization 'of our children. Let's outunify and ,

outorganize Ehem!" Laughing shouts of "parent power"led to.vow to outmaneuver "peer power" and to Overcome'"dope power."

. Now that they-had a grasp of the problem, the parentsbegan to seek solutions. Recognizing that the childrenneeded a clear sot of consequences for their misbehavior,

, the parents made a list of rulesd restrictions thatthey would implement immediately and enforce rigorously.First of all, the kids needed to beTunished--as muchtor lying as for using drugs. All would be groundedfor the neXt 2.yieeks,,and thete would be no telephonecontActs with friends. After this period, they would.have to earn their freedom gradually. Each butingwould be planned, discussed, and 't;haperoned. They'would- not be allowed to go places where drug use wascommon, such as college campuses, .rock concerts, shop-ping centers with head shopsor unsupervised parties..If they did not have 1 definite place to go, they wouldbe expected to stay home. All telephone callers wouldhave to iden,tify themselves. There would be no phonecalls after 9:00. A.common curfew--6:00 p.m. forweekdays and 11:00 p.m. tor weekend outings--was agreedOn. The parents' would ask the adults in cherge of aparty or dance about chaperones andothe rules on drugsadd drinking; they would offer to assist if needed.Children would bcA given more chores and responsibilities,at home. Allowances woitld have to be earned and money,sUpplies wahched carefully. Most important, therewould be no drmg, alcohols or tobacqo aise allowed, thuseliminating sophistic arguments about Which was more.harmful:

The parents who had been silent protested that this wastoo severe, that it would alienate the young people,that th(.!y woOld rebel. "But my ch,i_ldren already havetheir rock concert tickets, and we'd pranned to go oytthat night." "It's the first big football-game of theseason; .they'll die if they're groundedl.for' that.""I!ll drive them to the''dance, but i'm not about to-sitthrough it!" ft was soon obvious not waning to knowwent hand-in-glove with not whnting to acti. "It willneVer work," they earily concluded"nothing will."

The parents who were eager to participate realized thatthe next step was to formulate credible reasons for theantidrug stand that would make the children realize why'their parents felt so strongly'about it. The more

4

familiar harmful effects of alcohol and tobacce omgrowing, aeveloping youngsters were discussed, especiallyby parents who used either alcohol, or tobacco--the"legal drugs." Parents would reexamine their own usean0 would make'every effort to Present responsiblemodels to their children. The parents admitted havingan emotional response .to marijuana--they admitted tofeeling threatened by it and fearing that it would harmtheir children. Rather than apologizing for this, theyvowed to learn why maiijuana seemed to debilitate anddistort their children's normal and healthy development.

'At this point, Mrs. Hardy pulled out ciopies of themedical article that Clavid',s pediatrician had givenher. The parents went over the pharmacological andmedical descriptions, and compared the psychologicaland behavioral symptoms with those.they had observed intheir own childrnn. They were relieved to see that,finally$ an expert's description's matched, their ownobservations. They decided to use the pediatricrian'spOphlet as the initial educational tool for themselvesand their children.

The third step sounded the most attractive.but was toprove the most difficult. Mrs. O'Shea pointed out thatthe drug culture seemed. fun to the chijdrep and:haddisplaced many of theleTother recreational activities,"We've got to give them something else, not iust leavea vacuum when we try to extract them from a year'spattern of drug play." More interesting, more involling,and healthieff forms of entertainment had to be encoUr-kaged. Though the kids needed privacy and places tofeel at ease with ,their peers, their horron of adult °

supervisionstrengthened by their recent involvementin secret, illegal activities--had to be overcome.Various parents promised to look into yoga, danee, 'andart classes; camping, backpacking,, and caneeing expe'di-tlons; sewing and modeling courses; clubs, dances, andsports at schools, Ys, and churches; volunteer Work athospital and community centers; and responsible pari-

' time jobs. They realized that all these would have tobe checked for accessility to, or permissivenessabout, drUgS and drinkihg.

7,

When the parents went home that night, most of themlaid down the law tootheir chirldren, acti,ng more confi-dent and stern, perhaps, that`14they really felt. With'echoes of "it will never work" reverberilting ill theirmindse they fearad forever alienating their children.

At first, the children seemed stunned at the immediate'imposition of Punishment and at the detailed set of.rules.. However, when they learned that most of their'friends had to abide by the samo'rules, they -seemed

12

e 1!

relieved. The parents gradually.regained their parentpowe'r, as the children--cut off from contacts with thepe,er .group-4/ere forced to stay home, to,t1lk, and tobe mole honest with thoir parents and with themselvesas the family began tb evaluate the drug experience andenvironment.

This was not an easy or _gratifying time; tears, resent-ments, .accusationS, diSappointments all surfaced morpreadily than opennoss aind affection. Many of theparents were depressed and confused by the easeiwithwhich their children admiEted.lying, breaking the law,stealing money from home, and turning on other ch-ildren.Some felt overwhelmed by the apparent power and irresist--i!bility of the-peer and pop-cultural Porces. As theparentl gazed with foreboding 4 the long road ahead,theix diain consolation was the continui'ng contact withthe other parents, the sharing of information, insighe,grief, and, surprisingly, laughter. Like their children 4

before the "birthday bust," the parents now spent hourson the phone and sought out the "action."

Duriny the period when the children were confined toeneie homes, the parents lKarned,that the action wasall around them--in the houses of adult drug users whoallowed kids to "eXperiment" at home; in the schoolswhere some teachers tolerated stoned kids as long asthey were quiet; at musical and athletic events whereadults were unaware or unconcerned that kids wereunnaturally high; at shopping centers and snackbarswhere dealers met young people and drugs casuallychanged hands; in grocery stores and quick-shops wherTapers and paraphernalia for illegal drug use wereopenly displ-ayed; in family drugstores where slickmagalines toutingmarijuana, cocaine, LSD, and even:heroin sat next to family, news, and sports magazines;in fancy "head_shops" where colotful marijuana bongs,toy hashish pipes for "tots who toke," cocaine spoons,and trick soda-pop drug containers presented glittering,displays. There were drugs for anyone who wanted them.

As the parents tried to alert more, parents, schoolauthorities,' cdmmunity leaders, journalists, and mer-chants to the pervasiveness of drug 'propaganda andsupplies in the community, they met, a wall of deriialand evasbon. "You must be bad parents if your childrentfy drugs; it will never happen to me" was a commonreaction. Many people' seemed to believe the drug ikproblem would go away if people would Stop talkingabout it.

,As parents all over the community learned more aboutthe 'dope scone, they also stopped blaming themselvesfor their chilaren's marijuana use and stopped viewingtheir children as deviant or rebellj.ous because of

4

1:3

A,

4

their involvement in the drug culture. They realizedthat all children were vulnerable to drug pressures.,and that parental ignora/ke of'theso pressur6s greatlyincreased the child's vulnerability. This knowledgegave the parents a sense of responsibility.for informingmore parents In the crunity.

Thus, a larger meeting of parents--whose children werenonusers, suspected users; known users, known dealers,and of varying ages--was called in a physician's home.The doctbr.invited a medical colleague, experienced indrug research and family counseling, to give an out-sider's perspective on the findings and actions of theoriginal parents' group.1 The visiting doctior wassurprised-at the frankness among the parents and at theamount of information they had compiled on drug effectsand use patternshe praised etle' grlup for sharinginformation and for admitting that their children wereinvolved in sometifing illegal and potentially dangeraus.He said that thiS was the first concerted effort by alarge group of .parents that he had seen in his manyyears of drug' counseli'ng, and urged them to enforcetheir rules, to back each other up, and to refuse to,accept ther'return of any of their children to the drugculture...

The visitor also'pointed out that this relativelyhard-line, -tidrug posit.On'tOuld be more easily ande2fectively rtlintained if. the Parents worked to diminishthe easy acceSsibility to drugs in the community. "Forkids this young, the supply creates the demand," hewarned. "The widespread availability of drugs reinfOrcesall the pressures to try 'them." The parents realizedthat holding the fort at home would be much harder:as'long as the drug suppliers and propagandists wereoperating freely in the community.

Thus, the parents sent warnings to those adults andolder teens who either supplied drugs and\alcohol tochildren in the community or made it pos)sIble forothers to do so. Merchants, in local shoppi* centerswere told about the widespread use of intoxicants amonglocal kids; they were urged to check IDs more carefullywhen alcohol was purchased and, to inform parents ot"ripoffs," stoned kids, and other signs of trouble.Community and.economic pressure, ironically af,ided bythe shoplifting young users, contributed to the

'closing of a gift shop that had openly displayed drugparaphernalia, anl a pinball parlor that had tolerateddrug uge.on the "remises. School authorities wereurged to keep outsiders away .from school property; tomonitor restrooms, hallways, and playgrounds; toprovide informed- adult supervisors for all activities;and to use PTA meetings to alert more parents. Pareiltsapd neighbors were asked to,monitor schoolbusstops

N..4

where pot was smoked before school. !meal police wereasked to 4ncrease surveillanice of known points of drugexchange, '.such vs shopping mulls, parking )ots, railroadicrossings,'foridgos,.-and sports fields. Worki.ng parents,especially 'si'rigle ones, wore ,allvised about the specialvulnerabiltty of their children.and the need to prov.ide,adult supervision for theM alfteroschool. Because manychildren used the homes of Orking parents as placcip tosmoke pot, working parents were urged to call on otherparents 'and neighbors for help in looking after theirkids. Parents who used illegal drugs themselves, agrowing percentage among those in their late twentiesand early thirties, were informed aribut the increasingproblem of juvenile use. They were told about thegrowing community concern about such use, and wereurged to discourage any children from experimentingwith drugs in their homes, to keep tighter controlsover their own supplies, and to evaluate the eTfectsuch use might have on their own children..

Most painful and important of all these measures wasthe proce'ss of cutting the lines of supply from 'elderteenagers to younger boysvAnd girls. Recognizing thatthe older dealerS had once been naive beginners liketheir own children, the parents felt obligated to be'honest, sympathetic, and helpful in confronting Iheteenage dealers and their parentsk. Parents who hadsometimes been lifelong friends laid out the known orsuspected cases of drug dealing by their neighOors'children. They made it clear that dealing would nolonger be tolerated, and that legal charges would.bebrought if it continued. But they also stressed thatthe parents and teenagers would be welcome in thecommunity effort to 'understand and cope with the drugculture.

The parents' united front and the uniform behavioralrules for the younger teens apparently surprised the17- to 19-year-old dealers. Most of them stoppeddealing to younger kids; a feW reconsidered and rejedtedtheir own drug-oriented lifestyle. One mother' calledlater to thank the group for shocking her wholeofamilyinto dealing openly and forcefully with her 19-year-oldHon's accumulated personal and social problems, com- '

pounded by 6 Vears of using marijuana.

Trio confrontations with those veterans of the adblescentmarijuana scene were important'in other ways to boththe parents and their children. The older teenagers,some of whbm were "burnt out," provided a sad objectlesson in what:might lie ahead for the young experiment-ers. Their years of drug use had contributed to renderthem psychologically dependent, physically lethargic,academically impaired, and vocatio011y limited. Theyhad not achieved the independence from ceAtldhood and'

1 5

.

parents that is the main task of adolescence. Becausethpy were unable to cope with the more adult 1,ifestyles,and responsibilcties oE their_nondrug-abusi"ng peers,they resorted to the company.of youngeir adolescents,whom they could dominate a.nd who were_ flattered by,their interest. That drugs were the main bond in thesemixed ag grodps made the relationship unhealthy torall concelned.

The older, drug-affected teenagers provided the parentswith their moSt effective drgument in the dialog withtheir younger children--ap, argument that centered onthe positive motives for abstaining from drug use. Theparents 'cussed the experience and effects of alcoholand Ma Liana .use in terms of the normal yearnings,confusions, and growIng pains adolescence. They4takked with their children about e dangers of intoxi-cation itself--the loss of motor.,control, the loweringof inhibitions, the susceptibility to persuasion,etc.--within the difficult contexts oE driving, sexuality,

,

dating, and respect for.self and peers. They talkedabout the particular'problems of illegal marijudna--theunpredictability of potency in the drug, ,the possibilityof adulteration with PCP, and the variability of effects'on the useer. 'They explained, that the drug accumulatesin fatty tissues and remaj.* in the body after the'"high" has faded. They discussed the mood-altering,qualities oE the drug which can further.exaggerate the '

volatile mbod changep that are A normal part of adoles-.cence;

Most f the children agreed with these descriptions,although none had heard about them-before they startedsmOking marijuana.' The kids began to obserVb and talkri'bout the "gone". and the "wasted" among the Older,heavier drug users in the high sCheol. .They 'seemed toforget that they had recently admired them as "laidback" and "mellow." The kids wondered about the hollow-'chested, tired-looking teenage dealers who drifted inand out of their neighborhood. Was it the drug itselfo(. the drug, lifestyle.th4t made them seem so lifelessand anemic? When asked 6 describe the physixal effectsof marijuana on themselves, the kids mentioned the highbut said, "Mainly, it slows you down and makes'you feeltired." No wonder rapidly growifng eighth..graders'fellaSleep in clyiss and thought school was a' "drag"; nowonder formerly vivadious sixth graders stopped playingsoccer br dropped 'Out of dance classes! Asited tocompare the effects of alcuhol, the children said, "Oh;it Makes yoif 'hyper.' But to really get loaded, youcan smoke dope and^drink pop wine."-mories of unex-plained Skateboard and minibike acci nts, of tumbles

:against shopwindmws, and of dazed j walking in busystreets came back to both parents,and children. ,'

Ye,

4

ThrOughput thyse discussions, the parents emphasizedthat their aim in prohibiting drug and alcohol dse wasto 'help their children grow up--to learn to cope withinternal stress and external pressures; to tolerate or.

dela4ed gratificationj .to keep clear heads; to' developkeen sense of who they really were; to becomvature,'

independent; and energetic young adults--at which pointthey Could make their own decisions about the'use ofiAlegal, or"'i4legal drugs. The parents did not preachprobtiUition forever, but they insisted that theirchildren not use drugs while they 'were too youbg andvulnerable to handle the psychological, physical, and -social hazards involved.

The image that apparently registered. most. clearly withthe' chiddren was that of the "bird tak.ing flight";parents, spoke positively of the time when the childrenwould fly from the nest and Agatively of drug -use,which would cripple their wings. Visions of 18- to20-year-old "pot heads," still loitening around adoles7cent hangouts, hauntud all their minds. ThuS, a nega-tive prohibition became a means of positive growth,though it would be many months'before tho,youngsters.,plagued by all pie normal confusions of adolesqpnce,would gain enough perspegt.ive on their own experienceto consciously understand or articulate this view.

In the meantime, the parents took on the tiresome, butnecessary, task of constant supervision as-they weaned

nr Aired their involvomen i alternatilie forms of

children away .from drug-orionted activities andu C nentertainment, studies, and service. The parents'commitment to providing the kids with more active,interesting activities wan initially a pure act offaith, for 'the youngsters' lethargy and "dropbut" ;

mentality took some months to overcome. The childrenoften whined and sulked as their parents carpooled,chaperoneq, sponsored, and organized alternative activ-ities and.recreation.

As Mrs. Jones accompanied some girls to yoga class andstayed to talk, to the young teacher, her daiightergroaned, "Mommmm, don't cAne in--this is S0000 embarrass-ing!" But the brief 'chat was important, for the teacherbepame careful about not' teaching yoga to the youftpeople in terms of drug [language and values--that is,"highs," "mind blowers," "head trips," etc.' As theSmiths shivered through an eighth-grade'fOotball game,their And begged them to at least 4=iit on t.he top rowof the stadium while the young people sat on the tiottom.But, even from the windy heights, the Smiths were ableto intervene when a child'made, a last-ditch.effort totake a quick smoke behind the'bleachers and anotherj.rind to ride liome with a suspicious-looking olOrteenager. Bol,iring other people's childrefi was hot

!,)

pleasant, but the parents had promised to -supervise'4

each other's kids.

As Mrs. Pappas spot-ctyku.4-the-'dahee in thehighschool gym, she-corn:dd. "With her own, daughter in the

.

dimmed lightl' Andasea of, dancers--"Aaagh, Moml How'could you?". was the anguOhed reaction. Mr, Greenstein ,

wondered if you could really get brain damar fromblasting rock music, cis heulndured'his,first voluntarychaperoning' job at, the dance. Mrs. AnSon met with icyindignation whew she dutifullyrcalled\some parents newto the cOmmuWity, who were hosting a', large float.-,.

building party, to inquire if,they were aware of pos-.sible.drug and alcohol use among the kids,.and to askif they needed more adulCassistance- Although theyoften felt as if they had givq4....qp their own sociallives lor the sake of their children, the parents keptat it Orit4.4 the kids knew they Were-ser.ious.

Looking back over this monitoring period, the parentsrealized that 'there ,were paraltels with the earlymeetings when the group divided into a vocal majoritywho wanted.to know, for better or worse, what theirchildren were invOlved in, and a silent minority, whoeVaded such knówledge: From the Ieginning df theperiod of close supervision, the same parents who hadremained passive at the meetings were unabl e,. or unwill-ing to stick with the plan of clear and enforced behav-ioral rules for all the children. 'They made exceptionsduring the wly ounding period, and tfiey were incon-sistent abi c roning thetr children. Their Children .soon begah to-d theie., seriousness and became coqrfUsedabout their limi s. Mr. Greensteirn, taking a breatAeroutside r.om the ear-bursting rock band, noticed the'kids of the."Silent parents" out in-the parking lot,Smoking dope amd bdasting loudly, evidently tor hisbenefit, about-how "loaded" they weee. Some of' themsegmd to f,laupt their .drug dealing and smoking'atschobl and in the local shopping center. For a while,the other parents continued to contact their paeents,but it became evido.at that they did not wailt to know.When the "enforcing" parents openly groaned or'jokedabout pie onerous superviHion duties, their own chil-dren'Ssporadic atteTpts.to retest the rule's, or.theiroccasiOnal lapops, th# "/ilent oneH" would declare that'their children were fine mid ble problem was solved. .

Unwittingly,,the ostriChlike parents gradualiy isolatedthemselves and their ch1 l4ren from the groWing sense ofcommunity among the other parents pid ehaildren. One ofthe silent. parents, who had re-fused to go along withthe commuhal set Of rules, later compilained, "it's witfair; my kids leel 90 p'Inely and left orit of everything.141,For, mhch to everyone'...4-4,su,(prise, the period of unnathrar'enforcement began to give vray to a period of 'natural

self-control; the parents' unified front graduallyreversed the peer pressures Among the kids. The drug-oriented social structure gave way to a nondrug youtheulizure that was more suitable and entertaining fortheir age group. As the enervating physical and psycho-logical e-ffect's ormarijuana and alcohol use wore off,the children's energy, cheerfulness, and high spiritsreturned, One seventh grader, at first dr,-fiant about

Ai giving uP pot, later-admitted that "it began to feelgood to not feel so burned out." Both the youngstersand' their parents learned that the drug culture is notas irresistibly fun as it had appeared The.kids.thought it was,much more tun to dahce, to.play ball, towhite-water canoe, to act in plays, to work at part-timejobs, than it was to "just sit around getting stoned."Moreover, life became much freer from the constantbickering, depression, 'and arguments with friends,parents, and teachers that had occurred so often andseemed so out of control during their drug-qising days.Thw emotional molehills thdt had erupted into mountainsgradually.sUbsided as the kids regained their psycho-logical resiliency and proceeded at.their normal pacethrough the maturing processes of adolescence.

Most surprising was the emerging sense of camaraderif?and humor about the whole traumatic! experience. Theqhildren seemed to appreciate ,the fact that theirparents all knew each other now and shared a commonintvrest in' their welfare. It was something likehaviriq an old-fashioned extended family or livingwithin a closely knit, friendly neighborhood community.The chi4dren knew what was expected of them in teTms ofcourtesy, honesty, and behavior in the different homeswhere they were welcomed. They realized that t4pirparents were.not always "grim 'and sadistic" at theirperiodic meetings, thoulti no one forgot how painful theinitial period had been.

-

When the youngsters jokingly named the original parents'group the PSP (Parents' Snoop Patrol) and then thelarger group the NPA (Nosy Parents' Association), theparents laughingly yowed to Wear sweatshirts and usebumper stickers with glow-in-the-dark NPA initials. Bythe next year, many new junior-high students and youngerbrothers and sisters accepted the NPA as a4 fact oelifo, a rite-of-passage as natairal as pierced ears, eyeShadow, rock music, footbal-1, boy craziness, girlcraziness, and temptations to try drugs. That none ofthe younger siblings ropeat'ed their older brothers' andsisters' drug experimentation testified to the ongoingeffectiveness of the united parental stand against druguse. l'hi rteen-year-old girlsywho had earlier rrafsed

; marijuana am cool, and'harmless vowed to "cream" theiryounger.brothers and sisters if they used it. Despite

19

w

the previous domino pattern within local families, inwhich an oltiler child's use led to a younger child's use,the combinod efforts of the parents' group,and thecircumstances of reversed peer 'pressure extractedseveral younger children from-what had seemed to be ahOpelessly repeating family drug problem.

Withiri 6 months, it was becoming evidentbeyond anYcine's,highest irlttLdl hopes--that the communal effort hadworked.. The parents hardly dared o believe it andvowed to iwe0 their'eyes open and fingers Oryssed; butthe changes in their childrenthe returning'viliamity,the renywed thoughtfulness, the increasing interest inthe widen world around them, the growing candor, andthe desire to talk about problemswere unmistakable. 1

Thejelatioetships between parents and children appearedto be stronger? they had all been through a rough time,but they had been through it together.

Two 'years later, David, Kathy, and Mrs. Allen were -trying to piece together etm-experiences of that trau-matic summer. Mrs. Allen,asked the kids what they hadbeen thinking about as they sat together while theirfriends got wasted at the birthday party. Kathy went'blank at th.4! question. "J really can't remember," shesaid, "it still seems so confused." "But," David said,"don't you remember? You thought you could stop it;you knew everybody would get ich trouble. You kepttelling me, 'Everything has gotten out of control.'"Mrs. Allen then realized that the vision of an alienworlrt that had, so alarmed the parents had been sharedby many of the young people as well. The popular drugculture had been powerful enough to place parents andchitdrenfrom even the strongest families--on oppositesideS. They all learned the hard way that any.kind ofdrug use poses dAngers to a child'silealthy, intelli-gent, and humane development and to the stability,integrikty, and love of the family. But, more important,they all learned that parents and children together canbridge the distance between those worlds, and thattheir indi'vidual, family, hnd community relationshipswould be ictrongeT and richer because of their strugOe.

100.04041004,0414

The continuing action of cooperating, concerned parentsin the community gryatly changed the atmosphere oftheir youngsters' personal and social lives. Theneighborhood teen culture is no longer dominated by(lungs, and i t is no longer walled away from the adult

However, the parents have no illusions Chatthey have stopped drug and alcohol use amony,all the

0 kids in thahtlommuHity. They realize also that pressureson youngsters to-une.drugs will increase as the legal$ ituation chanlos and as the drug culture becomes moreovert, commercialiood, and aggressive. But tiley learned

. 2 0

'1611\

that they are not helpless, and that other parents arenot helpless either':

9

The chapter you have ju.St read discusses theexperience of neighborhood parents 'in asuburb of Atlanta, Georgia, as they worked tostop drug use al1ong children 15'years of ageand younger. Similar conditions exist incommunities and neighborhoods throughout the.United States. Cooperative action by,con-flcorned parents may have similar results in:these communities. ft may be difficult forpa:rents to implement some of the strategiesdescribed without parent group support.

2,1 3 I

2. the family versusthe drug culture

the evolutio"h of the drug culture

Most parents with teenagers grew up in a predrueeraialthough Illany adolescents of the 1950s experimentedwith alcohol or tobacco, they rarely did so at 11 or 12years of age, and ehey rarely bedame habitual, heavydrinkers or smokers at such young ages. Nor were thdy. .

subjected to appeals from sophisticated advertising,popular music, and movies to try to sell illegal drugsor to view drug intoxicatioh as a .higher reality.

Drug use became widespread in the 1960s in the Contextof campus turmoil ovjr civil rights and the VietnamWar. Many adults sympathized with the,eth4cat conCernsQf the %student, protesters and gradually came to acceptthe use of drugs--especially'marijuana--as a valid partof the opposition to capitalism, racism, militarism,.and alcoholi,tsm. . Other adults viewed ail of this assaversive and do4enerate. But regardless of whichside a person took, the drug issues appeared part of alarger social, economic, and political,debate. Moreover,the drug culture initially took root "on college anduniveTsity campuses, an environment where dissent,

,

debate, and 'experimentation have historically beenencouraged. Few high school studerha.partidipated inthese debates. and expeOmonts, .and almost no juniorhigh and elementary schoolchildren turned on or droppedout An the name of peace and equal rights.

Qu.ring the late sixties and early,seventips, many ofthe political and social causes espoused by the counter-culture became acceptable adult opinion. many, aelults--especiaLly those in the'mptertainment world, the media,

22

1. 3'

.011

and the profesSions--experimented with marijuana,apparently the most benign of the youth drugs. Areaction also set in against the reOlessive dtug Zawsand the myt11 of marijuana as a "killer" drug and aprecursor to madness. Television newscasters, jawyers,teachers, psychologists, reporters, housewives govern-ment officials, and doctors (especially those in theirtwenties and thirties) occasionally smoked marijuana inthe same way tnat they sometimes drank beer or scorch.For many adults, opposition to marijUana use becameidentified with opposition to liberalism in all itsforms; ta, be pro-marijuana was to be pro-tolerance,pro-innovation, and especially pro-youth. Few adultsexpected, however, that the drug culture would eventUal-ly spread to the high schools, junior highs, and elemen-tary schools.

The war ended, and most of the counterculture wasassimilated into the mainstream of American life. Butthe drugs remained and spread into the city and countyschool systems. For impressionable youngsters, thereis no, worthwhile context for drug use. They are notrebelling against materialistic society, struggl.ing Qotthe civil?rights ol the oppressed, or trying to stop adestructive war. Many of them arp not even,rebellingagainst their parents yet. Most young, people try drugsfor the s ne reasons that they wear certain hions oruse cert in slang-7because it seems cool an ecausemany of heir friends are doing it.

gVen without drugs, the transition from childhood coadulthood is difficult, paiinful, and confusing. It isalso-one of the most crucial periods in the cycle ofhuman development. Adults have the responsibility toprovide a'healthy environment for young people--anenvironment in which drugs do not intensify and distortthe normal problems of adolescence.

All children are growing up in an environment thatexposew them to drugs, and the pressures to experimentwith them Can be intense. Parents ate a child's maisdefense against these pressures, but parents need to'recognize that they are up against powerful 8o6ial andeconomic forces. They may face a hard struggle inhelping their child to be drug free, but the strugglewill be worthWhife.

23

what you are up against

the popular youth manure0/1

,The main difference between growing up.in the 1950s andgrowing upt in' the 1970s is the pervasive. influencetoday the commerciatized and glossily packaged,

!popular youth cutture. Like other facets of Americanconsumer society, the commercialized pop,culture dependson a constantlY expanding consumer market. It uSes allthe sophisticated, techniques of modern marketing tocreate new desj.res and "needs" in its, customers.

One element in this pop culture is rock music. At itsbest, it is a genuinely creative, imaginative,. andinvtgorating force. But the rock scene is permeated bythe values and practices of the drug culture. Manyvlbeck_ Stars have beCome cult heroes, and many of themtake drugs. Children c,Orn often identify the c*rentrvck stars, and may identify with their lifestyles.When popufar musicians are arrqsted for drug possession,some of the popular media--especially the rock-musicradio stations--portray.them sympathetically and mockthe enfprcers of"the drug*--kaws.

/

Sincethe middle of the-last decademany rock lyricshave had drug overtones. The explosion of psychedelicimagery in the music of the 1960s--bAsed on the visionsstimulated:by LSD, mescaline, and high-potency marijuana--was eicocic and poetic enough to disguise much ofjtsdrug orientation. Few.adolescents or their_parentsidentified popular,songs,like "Lucy in'the Sky withDiamonds" with LSD.

As the protests of the 1960s faded. away, however,merchandisers of the rock culture expanded their sales'pitch ,to appeal to a broader youth market--one thatincreasingly included younger children. At the sametime; changing marijuana laws and increasing toleranceof its 'Ilse led to more overt drug language in thelyricd of rock music. Few parents, their ears condi-tioned to 0 different decibel level, could even hearthe words that blasted through their homes, much lessunderstand the slaty drug references.

Rock concerts pose an additional problem. Most areheld at_thx-supported sports stadiums, civic centers,and public concert halls. They draw large crowds ofpebple of varying/ages apd social backgroundp. In manycities, drugs ato'sold.and used openly at these con-Certe) no real attempt is.made to enforce either the

24

;3

I.

V

drug or the alcohol laws. Restrooms in public concerthalrb are often cluttered with children as young as 11who are getting high, vomiting, or shaking from unpre-dicteble drug and alcohol effects. Most parents areunaware of all of this. 'They either drop the kids 9ffand pick them up lacer,, ,or allow older teens to drivethe younger ones. Furthermore, most parents do notrealize 'that many public officials have given up onenforcing the drug and alcohol laws and place the blamefor teenage use on their parents.

Movies also cater increasingly to the youth market.Drug use is portrayed more openly and approvingly--evenin the PG-rated films frequently attended by preteens.By 1977 drug-culture values also began to surface on.

cTV. .In onp program, aimed deliberately at a preteen ol

and teenAge audience, a popular young actor was featuredin a melodrama in which adolescent marijuana use duringschool.hours was'presented in -an approving context,along with cheating andolying. In ariVthef popular'family program, a teena0 boy was.arrested for marijuanaand amphetamine possession- while committing h trafficviolation; his father and his'girlfriend--the ;tars--excused his marijuana use while drivipg on the groundsthat "ail the kids do it,"..although they did frown onpill popping.

ia tionmetknes nfl ntormed ot Wigged numfla

The increasingdrugs has been urther reinforced. by a change in atti-

\cceptance of'recreetiOnal use of illegaltude among much of the'news media. After having spreadmisinformation about the drug explasion of the 1960s,and having learned that much,Of what they reported'aboyt drugs and youth was inaccurate, the mediahavri generally stepped back from thorough coverage of'drug problems. Popular journalism.often operates'witha crisis mental ty: _the new,.the unusual, the sensa-

,tionel hre what 5-c. Is many magazines'and tabloids. A '

problem as seemingly complicated, intractable, andpersistent as drug use becomes stale news. Fresh newson drug use--such as the sudden popularity of a danger-ous and unpredictable drug. li.ke PCP, or the jet get'suse of a "champagne drug" like cocaine--may receiveserisationglized coverage. Unfortunately, there islittle indepth followupreporting. The popular mediamay forget the latest fad drug, but the drug itself '

remains.

The old myths of marijuana as a "ki.11er weed,' propoundedby films iRe Reefer Madness, have given way to a new'myth that marijuana fs harmless. The greatest dangerposed by this now mythology is the appeal to its mostvulnerable consumersjunior high school and gradeschool students. sMari-Aana proponents generally ignure

-25

loo -lino

the special problems of adolescence, which exaggeratethe negative effects of using pot. Adolescents arealso the most credulous and eager audience for newMyths, especially if they run counter to the beliefsand opinions of parqnts, teachers, and other.,adultauthorities.

This normal adolescent urge to' experiment, rebelreject, and reach out--which shOuld be the most vitaland constructive part of their growth process--isdebilitated by the drug culture. For the child who isunable to grow up because of drug dependency during.thecritical years of adolescence, society's exchange ofone drug myth for another haf been harmful.

the commercialized drug culture

The adult tendency to equate illegal drug use withlegit.imate recreation and the assimilation of drugmerchandising into the booming leisure-time consumermarket compounds the prodrug message of the youth-oriented entertainmegt world. Drug businessmen todaydo.not point accusing fingers at Wall Street capitalism

'or American imperialism as their moral rationale fordealing; instead, they invoke the pnofit motive, freeenterprise, and service to consumers to justify theirtrade.

This drug consumerism and its implications for the drugmerchandising market have created problems for parentswho attempt to control their children's use of'drugs.Thus, when glossy magazines advocating multidrug.useand slickly packaged drug paraphernalia appear on theshelves of neighborhood 'supermarkets, family drugstores,and book and record shops, many adults feel helpless tofight "recreation" and "free enterprise."

1

When the adult community, through apathy, ignorance, or'a sense of helpleAsness, fails 'to protect youngsters..from such commercial'pressures, a vacuum is created inwhich drug-culture Marketing flourishes. Since 1975,the proliferation of "head shops" in suburban, family-oriented shopping centers illustrates the rapid growthof the commerci,Mized drug culture.' These shops usestandard Merchandising techniques to attract new cuk3tom-era.

The most disturbing aspedt of this commercialism is theyouth pitch ofmany ot the products.. "Head" magazines

"Herid hops" sell rolling papers, pipes, and parapher-nalia for use with psychoactive drugs.

.10

26) V

4.

pOrtray marijUana use as an integral and beneficialelement in high school social, academic, and sportingactivities. The paraphernalia industry offers preteenmarijuana consumers drpg-related toys, games, and comicbooks. Though mony of these items are purchased byadults, their codmercial message to children--"Drugs arefun!"--is.clear ;ind effective.

In an attempt to learn just how far.paraphernaliadealers Would go in their merchandising to children,newspaper reporters in Atlanta and New York sent younieksters, from 11 to 15 years old, into local head shoph.In both cities, the children were actually sold drugs.The childre,n were also sold gadgets i.4b increase theeffects ,of marijuana, and hashish and tcl cut and. storecocaine (Baxter 1978; Johnston .1,978). Dr. MitchellRosenthal, Director of New York's Phoenix House Drug,Rehabilitation Center, commented on the youngsters'"buying'spree" (Johnston 1978):

- Here is a perfectly legal industry--a multi-million dollar one, we believe--based on thecommercial exploitation and pxopagandizing ofsomething that is illegal. . . . It's sayingloud.and clear, "DrUg use is OK. Our cultureexpects you to get high." Also, "higherquicker." A lot of this stuff is in pursuitof the "super high."'

Although many ivic groups and legislators are workingto 'preVent t spread of drug paraphernalia outletsinto their corkmunities, such businesses are still 1e9a1in most States. The practice of locating head,shopsnear junior high and high schools, or in snack andrecord shops'freqUented by youngsters, makes it Clear-that children censtlitute the major growth,market forthe paraphernalia btisiness. And the.paraphernalia isalready being marketed via the media that most influ-ence adolescents--rock radio^statiehs, record albums,sand popular magazines.

Raraphernalia .salesmen often argue that thpy do notcreate the illegal drug market; they merely cater toit. They claim that they would not be in business ifdrug,use were n9t already widespread in their commu-nities. Howevei., the merchandising techniques aredesigned to lower the age of the consumer and to makeillegal dtug consumption seem' attractive, fun, andinnocuous. Head shops are a legalmeans of profitingfrom the illegal use of drugs'. Their presence inmiddle-class American neighborhoods creatss an auraofcommunity acceptance and respectability for drug-culture4values and activities. It is difficult for an immatureyOungster,t4iLdeal with suàh contradictory messages:drugs are .itlegal and Otehtially harmful, but the

21

3 #

adult community allows the ipén and'unregulated salesof gadgets for using them. AdultS have the responsibil-ity to prestect children from drug-culture merchandiserswho see nesdifference between a 9-year-old customer anda 30-year-old customer.

the strengthening of peer-dominated. _values and behavior

Adolescent psychologists and psychiatrists stress theimportance of the peer group 'to youngsters:

, r1Adolescents can't tell everything to theirparents. They need secrets, they need dis-

, tance, and they need a wider audience to try, their ideas and attitudes on. In some ways, Av-

the peer group is in competition with the ,

family, but the adolescent needs both.However, there are dangers in the peer-groupsituation. Adolescents arw.very vulnerableto camaraderie, and the values of the group'

tend to be infectious. If the group's way ofdealing with anger at their parents is tosteal cars or to use drugs, it is difficultfor an individual youngster to resist goingalong;

(Rosenthal and. Mothner 1972, p. 55)

The image of "infectiom" is more than a metaphor whenused' to describe a drug-using Peer group. Experts ondrug abuse are now applying many of the techniques ofepidemiology in rying to analyze the spread of druguse among adoles ents-. Studies 'indicate that-thenumber of peers wh uSe drugs is the major influence ona youngster's 4eci'sion to use them. Furthermore, adrug-using child tehds to limit his or her friends toother users, leading\to a,pattern of circular reinforce-ment (Kandel 1978, p . 24, 7399; Kandel 1974, pp. '--"'

207-38). It is only short leap in the adolescentmind from perceiving th t these friends smoke grass tobelieving that "everybod " smokes grasS.

A"Peer groups also tend to i pire loyalty. Two notedfamily counselors warn about the strength of contempo-rary peer loyalty, even in ca es of dangerobs wrong-

%\doing. A child who reports a' le breaker or,drug useris often considered a "fink" or a "narc" even lajl the"straight" kids (Bird and Bird'1974, p. 165).

Essayist George Jones notes that the social changes ofthe 19600 have whetted Oung appetitee for adult"rights":

28

Everything has moved down in age. Today'sparents, when they were young, didn't haveexpectations of becoming part of the adult"action" until they -finished high school.But for their kids, hot being part of thea6tion is much harder to.take when 16 yearolds can drive and often own cars, and lifecenters'on their peer group with little roomlefr far anything else.

'

1 (1977)

Jones notes that mobility and Modern communications aremaking it easier for troubled youngsters te find compan-ions like themselves, "thereby perpetuating a youthculture more or less removed from adult values. Onedisconcerting result is that preadolescents are increas-Angly asserting their' -"rights" to do such things assmoke pot; skip classes, or stay.out late atlinight.

To the,question--"Should ch,ildren have the right tochoose whether or not to use'ldrugs?"--Rosenthal andMothner answer.firm11;:

Your. child should have no choice to makeabout using drugs. You .make bhat choice for

)L

him. If you allow him to d anything hewants while you are supporti g him, givinghim permission to ignore ev rything yousupposedly believe in, you assume an attitudeof no attitude, a position of no position.And your child ends up with no position too,because he has no one to challenge, no way hecan_firm up what he believes.

.c (1972, p. 175),

weakened traditional authorities and institutionsMany other factors have combined with the forces ofpeer pressure, merchandising, media, and rock music tocreate an adolescent culture permeated by drug values,and to weAken the traditional adult wuthorities whocould nurture a young persen's%bility,to reject,druguse. During the past decades, some schools of psychol-ogy and education have stressed the negative aspects ofparents as active instructors or authority figures andthe positive aspects of parents as passive listeners or"pals" to,their children. Citing the influence ofthese schools of thought, Dr. Benjamin Spock says:

In America more than in any other country, weparents, especially of the college-educatedgroup, have lost a lpt of our convictionabout how mUch and what kindly of guidance togive our children. . . . We seem to have .

become particularly fearful that we will make

29

3!)

our children resent us or will Aistort theirpersonalities if we exert too much authorityover them. This parental hesitancy has been '

more marked in relation to adolescent childrenthan to any:other age group. (1974)

This parental hesitancy can confuse even children inclose-knit, intact families. But increasing numbers offamilies 'are splitting apart. One youth observer notesthat-- .

. the rapieclimb of family breakups addsto insecurity. 'Divorces keep rising, as moreand more coUples play the game of "serialmarriage." One projection: Twe of everyfive children bor,n in the 1970's will live ina,single-parent family for at least a part of,their childhood. In thousands-of homes, thetc6ntinuing rise in the numbet of workingmothers means that neither parent i8 presentfor much of the-day. In that Massive shift,the family is losing not only its stabilitybut its authority in-shaping Xlie outlook andvalues of America's coming generations.

(Jones 1977)

This weakening of parental authority' and family tiesplaces increasing burdens on other cbmMunity institutionsto provide the guidance, discipline, And structure thatyoungsters need. Although churchea and synagogues canstill play an, important role in helping youngstersevaluate the.drug. culture's values in the light ofuniversal humanistic concerns, many religious' counselors,like parents,.are unaware. of pop-culture influences.Despite their concerns, they do not know what they areup against. One minister related that it was necessaryfor him to close the weekend teenage Aible cWmp: "Weknew that thet kids'were smoking pot. We felt.therewasn't Much harm in it and we couldn't do much to stopit, but when they, started on pills, we knew we couldn'tassuMe the responsfbility and risk having some kipfreak,out" (Bird and Bird 1974).

Dedicated parents who disavow formal religious ties but,who, have strong personal value systema often fail tomake their sophisticated ethical beliefs clear to theirchildren. Given the tremendous pressures on children,providing a good 'examplo may not be enoughr'. Youngstersneed parents Who will clearly articulate standards andvalues. BOth parents and religioug aufhorities need tolearn to -function better as informed, concerned, andstrpng 6ounterparts to the contemporary drug culture.

When parents and religious institutions fail to guide'their children, the burden falls on the schools--where

30

0

A

th6 childieneipend most ot their time andJorm most oftheir friendships. When the drug explesion firSt hit'the schools1 the immpdiate reaction of both educators.awl parents was to countyr with scare messages designedto discourage drug use. .These efforts often producednegative results and served to further alienate youpgpvople. .Gradually the scare tactics were replaced bydrug education courses for the students. The assump-tion was that ORCV. children knew all aboitt drugs,.theywould choose not to use them. But as drug mse continuedto inCrease, and as more and younger students' began to usedrugs, Many schobl officials felt'overwhelmed. Akowschool officials often report that they know it's goingon, but say,they,can't do much to stop it-uthe.numberSare too overwhelming, Nhe transactions too hidden"'(Rigert and Shellum 077S).

Schools often become the scapegoat for the failure,ignyrance, or mistakes of other institutions. Theycannot solve by themselves the problems of youthfuld.ruy and alcohol use that are part of a larger socialenvironment'. Upon his ietirement, Daniel F. Davis, therespected principal of a 'large urban high school,discussed the increasing burden' that society i'splacingon the schools. He pointed out that students havechanged, since-he became principal of Atlantas H. M.Turnet High School, and.that the changes haven't always'been positiVe

The schools have begUn to reflect .the whimsand desires of the community in recent years.The ills of tbe community are being.broughtinto the.schools. The values seem ?o havechanged, or to have been lost among all the,glamour of the media and advertising. . . .

Drinking is a problem we have to fight.There's so much encouragement-by,advertisingand television on drinking that they're goingto do it. Coupled with the.hard sell by themedia has been a breakdown in family 'involve-ment and discipline. The community is notinvolved enough. We need to getyarentsinvolved in discipline mhch more. tes'hard.to cOritpete4ditt These thiags when they lstu-

,dents] have so much freedom. ,These things'are not supposed to be at school.

(Reeves 1977)

The difficulty that the sc.hools experience with illegaldrug and alcohol use among their stndents'is compoUndedby,public and.police Confusion over what 1egalistepsshaild be taken. John I.anger, of the.U.S. Departmentof Justice's Drag Enforcement Administration, warns ofthe- dangers in.thiS school/police impasse:

I>

31

IIP

-vat.

The increase in drug abuse among schoolstudentu in the past ten years has not beeRacc9mpanied,by a proportionate increase incooperation shoWn by .law enforcement and theschools. Discussions with police and educaforsreveal the situatlon may have evolved in manyplaces into an Rneasy truoe. This results inpolice avoiding school'involvement whereverpossible, and school personnel avoidingsituations that might involve them with thepolice. Thu consequence is a/no-Man's landin which youth mayc if they wih, experimentEntely with substances of many kinds. .Aby-product of the situation (and evidence ofthe unwillingness of adults to intervene) isthe increase in alcohol use among teenagers.The poli.tey" of neglect, benign or otherwise,is notticone conducive to effective guidanceand prOper control. Unpleasant as it is tocontemplate, the schools--as well,as thepolice, parents, and the community--have aresponsibility for control of jilvenile behav-ior. The increase in delinquency reported Lnthe most recent crime statistics should besufficiently sobering to adults that theyWill make an effort to enhance sobriety amongyouth.

(Langer 1976)

Iragmented 'family tiesThe need tor parents to play a sironger and more activerole in their children's lives otmes'at time when thefamily itself is under both internal and externalpressures. However, after describing "the sorry.stateof the American family," child development expert Uric '

Apronfenbenner emphasizes the enduring resiliency andrichness of '4even the Most turbulent .families:

The-relationships in families are the juicesof life, the longings and frustrations andintense loyalties. We.get our strength fromthose relationships, we enjoy them, even thepainful ones. Of courSe, we:also get some ofour problems frofi them, but the.power- tosurvive those problems comes from the family,too. (1977)

Although family life is more strained now than at anyperiod in:American history, it is still A aource ofstrength, especially for,the'young. That some of theMore popular TV programs among youngsters are "All inthe Family'," "Good Times," "Happy DAM"' "The Waltons,""Family," 'Eight is Enough," "The Jeffersons," and"Little HOUSO on the Prairie," is a tribute to their,.

desire for strong parents and -Strong 'families.

32

tit

40404

1

Adolescent drug use damages the family. In a report onthe American family entitled Raisirig Children in_aChanaina Society, surveyors found that drugs leaa theTist of influences that make it must difficult forparents to raise chikdren (Yankolovich, Skelley, aqi.1White, Inc. 1976-77). Teenagers themselves emphaticallyagree. Responding to the Gallup Youhh Survey (1917),-adolescents list "drug use and abuse" as the foremostproblem facing their generation.

Rosenthal and Mothnet warn that many paTents are notprepared for the havoc that childrdn's drug use cancause in their family life:

Most couples can coast along qarrying a loadof discord tucked away. . Only when they run'up against some gritty reality that can't bebypassed or ignored do family weaknesses showup. prugs are such a reality. They candestroy children; they test parents.

However, they urge parents not to give-up:

When you come up against drugs, most importantis the knowledge that you can indeed dosomething. You,can almost always turn yoUrchildren from drugs. Apd if you dori't, whoelse will? 4'

(Rosenthal and Mothner, pp. 165-167)

33 4 ')

t

3. what you may face ifyqur child starts using drugs

The-research findings cited in this chapteron thet relationship of marijuana use tophysi.041 and psychological effects reflectthe interpretation of marijuana research byttee author. These interpretations includeextrapolations made about adolescents basedon research studies carried out with adultsand animals. It is important to note thatresearch which has been completed regardingmarijuana and health, has been done withpopulations that are not children or adoles-cents. Given the health problems that havebeen documented to exist in older groupsusing mariivana, Particular concern'must besholn with adolescents.

adolescent marijuPna use:what are the odde-and the risks?In 1975, Dr. Robert L. DuPont, then the Director of thlaU.S. Department of Health, Educatien, and Welfare's

Sources used by the-author for this chapter incluA theannual Marihuana and Health reports to Congress fromDHEW; The Pharmacology of Marihuana, edited' by Braudeand Szara, National Institute on Drug Abuse (New York:Raven Press, 1976); Cannabis and Health, edited bYJ.D.P. Graham (New York: Academic Press, 1976); Marihuanai,-Biological !ffects-7Analysis Metabolism, CeiiularResponses, Reproductioq, Drain, edited b1,17,(continued)

34

National [nstitute on Drug Abuse, reported, "Thereappears to be a large and growing minority who use thedrug Imarijuanal more frequently, at a higher potency,and at a younger age. These trends disturb even themost optimistic &servers of the contemporary marijuanascene in this country.", In January 1976, a studyindicated that "the fastest growing group of drug usersis in the group from 8 to 14 years of age" (Ryback1976). Figures from thipannual survey of high school4eniors conducted by the National jristitute on DrugAbuse in 1977 indicate thatadolescents are beginningtheir use Of marijuana at younger ages. This'surveyshows that 16.9 percent of the class of 1975 had usedthe drug by the time they had completed the ninthgrade, while 25.2 percent of the class of 18 had doneso (Abelson et al. 1977). In 1977, surveys showed thatmore young girls were joining their male peers in potsmoking (Petersen 1979). In 1970, the proportion ofhigh school seniors who smoked marijuana daily rose to1 out of 9 (11 percent), nearly double the figures'fordaily use in 1975 (1 in 17, or 6 percent). Dailymarijuana use now exceeds daily alcohol use among highschool seniors (6 perCent) (Johnston et al. 1977; alsopersonal communication 1978). In fact, the percentageof teenagers who are daily users of marijuana may wellexceed the U. percent who acknowledge daily use in thesurvey.

Traditional legal and ethical restrictions bar drugexperimentation studies on minors .and on females ofreproducbive age. By 1978, there had been no controlledscientific research on the physical effects of marijuanaon children and adolescents. Thus, parents and other.adults concerned about youthful marijuana use muststudy the medical findings on healthy adult males witha sharp eye to decipher where those findings have

G.G. Nahas and W.D.M. Prrton (New York: Pergamon Press,1979);,Lqnaitud1na1 Research on Drill Use: nmpirical Find-inas ijnd Methodological Issues, edited by D. Kandel (NewYorks HaAsted-Wiley, 1978), pp. 24, 73-99; D. Kandel,Interpers(nal influences on adolescent illegal drug use,in Drua_Use:_npidemioloaical and Socioloaical App!paches,edited- by E. Josephson (Washington, D.C.: Halsted-Wiley,1974), pp. 207-238. supplementary materials from indi-vidual articles in professional. and medical journals ankifrom personal interviews will be cited when they are par-ticularly significant. for,the adolescent. In addition,the author cwiducted extensive interviews with parents,p ihtricians, and young marijuana users in order toir lude observational data.

35

r

AMIN

1.:

particulat si nificance,for chilaren, adoleslentA, andfemales, Thy must also be alert to animal studiesthat focus or growth and developmental effects that mbe particulAr4y relevant to the maturing human. Thewidespread use of this drug by adolescents and femalesis unprecedented. In those. Eastern societies wheremarijuana usage is endemic, it has traditionally beenconfined to adult males.

The more frequent use of higher potency marijuana atyounger ages has promptedthe American.Medical Associa-tion (AMA) to revise its official position on marijuana.In its 1972 report, the AMA stated that there seemed tobe "little conclusive evidence of long-term adverseconsequences of marijuana use in the United States."However, in their December 1977 report they state thatongoing research has turned up "convincing evidence ofhealth . hazards to certain persons." The 1977 reportstresses that the group most vulnerable to the hazardouseffects of marijuana are childrpn and adolescents:

The effects of drugs on the pung, who are inearly stages of both physiological and psycho-logical development, can be more pronounce*,and persistent than effects on mature per-sons. . . . Marijuana is potentially damagingto health in a variety of ways, but it can beespecially harmful when used by a person whois immature; unstable, or already ill.

Reinforcing these medical warnings, some psy0iatrists(point out that because of the special emotieAal aridintellectual Stresses of adolescence, drug'use caninterfere with normal psychological development.Rosenthal and Mothner remind adults that regardleSs oftheir own attitudes toward adult dsenbf legal or illegalintoxicants, they would be wise to take a clear, consist-ent position against any pSychoactive drug usage byminors:

Adolescents are suspended in tne moment ofchange-insecure, uncertain, frightened, andmore vulnerable than at any other time intheir lives. If the process of change isdisturbed, disrupted, then anxieties Mountand the firMing,up of identity, the'purposeof all this turmoil, may never be. completed,and no adult will emerge from the damagedchrysalis of adolescenCe.

The surge of hormones, the pressure of peer4,the search for something to hang onto duringtheir troubled passagethese make,adolescentsunlikely oandidatos for occasional social use

3 6

.

of marijuana. Their needs are too great,their self-discipline too rudimentary--and itis too dangerous for them.

(1972, p. 64)

some ways, the use of marijuana by young peopletween the ages of 10 and 15 presents parents with newortunities as well as new responsibilities. Theyeducate their children about drug,problems, ndcan articulate firm standards at -,,an age wh

children are susceptible to parental influence anguidance. If parents can learn to deal credibly ahdeffect\ively with marijuana, which is often the firstdrug ç1olesctnts use, they can also deal effectivelywith ot er recreational drugs.

.The foll wing information, drawn from continuing medicalresearch,,smay serve as a basis for family discussionson how ma Ajuana affects the developing body and mind.

the physical ffects, of marijuana and ;.

the knplications, for children and adolescents

The 1fects ofmatyuanevarywith potency.' Chemists haveidentified over\350 chemicals in marijuana. Of these,more than 50 are scannabinoids, chemicals found only inmarijuana, with effects which are only partially under-

' stood. THC (delta-\ -tetrahydroornnabinol) is the majorpsychoactive, or mi d-altering, chemical in marijuana,but at least,three dther canha oids that affect themind Anteract with T47. Various marijuana plants ndvarioLis parts of the Same plant have differing nmountsof the cannabinoids an'el can produce aifferent effectson users. In this resPect, marijuana differs fromalcohol, which has a conrolled level of active ingredi-ents... THC is a powerful hallucinogenic chemical; however,marijuana users take THC fh a form diluted with nonpsycho-active plant material..

In the 1960s, most of the marijuana used in the UnitedStates,was domestic and had a low THC conten0(0.2percent to 1.5 percept), During the 1070s, a-greatldeal of marijuana consumed in the,United States hasbeen smuggled from Mexico, Jamaica, and Colombia with aTHC content averaqin(j 2.5 percent to 5 percent. Despitethe belief of many users that marijuana potency isdetermined by geograpqy and Climate (most dealers claimtheir wares are "Colombian"), research shows that plant

'See U.S. COngress 1974-75 and Turner 1979.

37

I e

Author's Mots

From a biochemical standpoint, concern about/frequency of marijuana use is based on any/pattern of repeated use which can lead to/abuildup, of lipid-soluble cannabinoids in thebody. Increased potency of marijuana m.rtlead to more rapid accumulation of THC.

For the purpose of evaluating potential risksfor 10- to 15-year-old users; the authordefines frequency of use according to thefollowing approximate scheme:

Heavy: five joints or more perweek, whether smoked in1 day or spread through-out the week.

'Regular: one joint, or more pqrweek.

Infrequent: less than monthly.

Experimental: a few experiments but nocontinued usage.

genetics are the major factors in prpduting'strongermarijuana. Thus, seeds from high-potency marijuana, withproper cultivation, will produce plants with a similarTHC cobtettfir the cold mountains of New Hampshire, justas thpy will in the tropical peninsulas of Colombia.Recent news reports reveal that pot farmers in Oregonare already producing marijuana with 6 o 8 percentTHC. This increase brings Marihuana cl4oser to thepotency of hashish (a concentrated form the resin ofthe marijuana plant with 3 to 14 percent THC), whichhas long been linked With more serious medical andpsychological problems.

Even more disturbing is the increasing use of marijuanaoil and hsashish oil, 'highly concentrated derivatives ofthe marijuana plaht with THC contents ranging from 30to 90 percent (Pharm Chem Newsletter 1917). The oil is.soMetiTes injected into tobacco--6Tiaiettes. One dropof high quality hash oil is enough to produce a hallu-cinogenic drug effect 141 many users.

Because the effects of marijuana are largely based onthe amount of psychoactive chemicals ingested, thisescalating potency is of seriou.s concern. Psychoactive'effedt also depends on dose pet unit of body weight.

3 8

Younger users thus may be getting a double 'dose merelyby using the same quantity as adults. Young, inexperi-enced users are more susceptible to the acute panilcreactions, and physical nausea, tremors, 4nd faintingthat can result rdm smoking high-potency pot.

UdEortunately, iost youngsters assume that good grassmeans saEe gra s. Among both adult and adolescentusers, drug-culture peer pressure can make the.victimof a marijuana freakout feel defensive or even guiltyabout his/her reaction. With ihcreasingly.potent potavailable to youngsters, it is"vital that they recognizethat it is a strong chemical that can cause freakoutsand not the "un-coolness" oE someone who "cannot handledope."

Heavy users develop tolerance to marquana. Many people aronot aware oE the recent studies that verify that usersdevelop a tolerance to marijuana. Many have acceptedthe widespread street mythology of reverse tolerance,-

- i.e., that heavy users need decreasing amounts of thedrug. The heavy user requires increasing quantities of.the drug (more joints or more potent forms) to achievethe same high. Although marijuana is not. classified asan addictive drug (like heroin and the barbiturates),recent studies show that heavy, long-term use may causemild physical dependency in some users As, they increasethepir dosage to satisfy higher tolerancONevels (Ameriftn_Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs1977). In some foreign countries, where marijuana hasb en used for 'centuries, many smokers-consume up to 20

ints a day. Despite earlier assumptions that suchf'ieavy would not iiirvelop in the United States, newsurveys suggest that easier,and cheaper availability ofthedrug may result in tobaccolike Use patterns among amknority% Reporters for the NBC television documentary,Reading, Wr.aing, and Reefer (1970), were surprised tolearn that youngsters 9 to 15 years old are smoking 5to 110 marijuana joints a day.

Weekend pot smokers or infrequent users do not developa physical dependency on marijuana. Most experience nophysical problems when they stop using, but some heaVyusers do experience such mild withdrawal symptoms asirritability, restatessness, decreased appetite, sleepdisturbance, sweating, tremor, nausea, vomiting, ordiarrhea. Young adolescent uAers occIsionally reportthese symptoms,.and parents and pediatricians should be

c\aware that a temporary flulike syndrome may occur whena youngster stops heavy use.

Mar ijuani does not produce the same kind of hangoverthat alcohol does, and many adult users claim to experi-ence no negative effects the next day. However, some

't

39

,4 9,

k3-

%duns and many adolescents complain of depression andfatigue after the high wears off. One -observer of -

adolescent pot smokers speculates that the marijuanahangover may occur in a subtle form:

The experience of being, high on marijuanatends ,to dissipate itself within a few hours,with or without an interval of slpep, andblend fairly smoothly into a normal state ofmind. Because one experiences the drug thisway, one tends naturally to cdhsider the highto be the sum total of the drug's effect.But this view is mistakeh.. The THC has by nomeans completed its assignment. , , . Anumber of medical experts suggest that theacclaimed lack of hangover is actually a verygradually distributed hangover; instead oftemporary nausea and a splitting head, theweekend pot smoker may feel edgy and irritableat school or work by mid-week. Heavier usersmay feel deeply *and chronically depressed.

(Hawley 1978),

The activ Ingredients In marquann occuthulato In the body. THC andthe other cannabinoids are fat-,solublie chemicals. TheyAccumulate in the fatty linings (lipid membranes) ofthe cells in the body and brain, and are metabolizedout of the system very slowly. A week after a personsmokes one marijuana cigarette, 30 to 50 percent of theTHC remains ih the body; it is estimated that 4 to 6weeks are required to eliminate all the.THC. Thus, theyoungster who smokes on Saturday night and again onWednesday gradua;ly builds up the level of THC inhis/her system. Regular use--even once or twice aweek--means the user is never entirely free of thedrug.

The persistence of THC in the system differentiatesmarijuana from alcoho/. Alcohol is a mater-solublechemical that is metabolized or "washed out" of thebody -relatively quickly. Thus, the youngster whodrinks too much will probably get sick and suffer ahangover the next day, as his/her stomach and liverwork to process the alcohol. This detoxification iscompleted within 12 hours. Because THC is not watersoluble, it is not quickly washed out by the bodyfluids.

At present, scientists are not'sure how this accumula-tion of Marijuana chemicals (including many cannabinoidsand compounNs other than THC) affects humam health anddevelopment. ."However,, many observers of youthfulmarijuana smokers worry that this slow, subtle, accumu-lation within the body and brain may cause gradualpersonality and.behavioral changes. Youngsters who are,

40

31)

_AL

$

0

undergoing rapid and complex changes of body chemistryand,emotional development may be more susceptible tothe accumulation of.THC and other chemical-s than matureadults.

Havy us of marijuana* decreases the levels of sox honnonos Inmalls and females. Marijuana's depressant effect on theendocrine or hormonal system poses one of the greatestrisks to children and adolescents, for a healthy balanteof hormones is Crucial for normal physical and emotionaldevelopment in young people. Some scientists speculatethat the chemical str.ucture of THC may cause it to actas a "false'hormone," interfering with aspects ofnormal hormonal function. Tests on healthy adult malesreveal that daily marijuana use lowers their levels oftestosterone, the major masculinizing hormone (kolodnyet al. 1976; Cohen 1976). For most of the test subjects,the testosterone levels fell within the lower range ofadult normality. If there is no prelhous problem ofsexual,dysfunction or lowered physical vitality, thehormonal effect on physically mature males is notgenerally serious.

Although no testing has yet been done on youngsters,researchers are concerned about the testosterone effectson young boys during puberty and the early stages of'adolescent development. Healthy testosterone levelsare essential for the normal processes of male sexualand physical development. The surge of testosteroneproduction at puberty begins the major masculinizationprocess which physically transforms a boy into a man.Unnatural alterations in masculinizing hormones duringthis stage of development may affect physical growthand sexual maturation. In fact, the estrogenlikeeffect of THC may be responsible for the increasingcases of gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts, found amongpot-smoking adolescent boys (Harmon and Ali4poulious1972, 1974; tiigh Times 1976).

Research also shows that heavy marijuSna use can reducesperm count and sperm motility and increase the incidenceof abnormal sperm in adult males.). Like other heavydrug and alcohol abuse, marijuana abuse has also beenshown to cause sexual dysfunction and impotence (Nahasand Paton, in press). These findings raise obviousquestions about the effect of heavy marijuantkuse anthe developing reproductive systems of adolescentmales.

Because the hormonal effect on males peems to be medi-ated through the pituitary gland, scientists havespeculated that similar hormonal alterations also mayoccur in .females. Marijuana experiments with rhesusmonkeys, which have a hormonal and mensttual cyclesimilar to humans, indicate serious interference with

:100-0110 - 7

4 1

normal. ovulation (rec lease of/eggs), lactation (milkmaking), and full-term pregnancies (Sasibnrath et al.,in press).

In July 1978, lab' findings of altered hormone levels(Smith et al., in press), led Dr."Carol Smith to warn:

THC's direct effect on the reproductivesystem may cause disruption of the gonadal'function.. Ancij we're extremely concernedabout the effects of the drug on the develop-ing reproductive ,system of female teenagers..This phase.of development is particularlyvulnerable to disruption by drugs.

(Mann 1978)#

When asked how much THC is Teguired to inhibit sex hor-mones, Dr. Smith replied, "As little as one to twojoirits a day." The effect of these joints lasts "aslong as two days. The aqute effects are reversible forEhe occasional or weekend smoker who stops: The chronic,long-term hormonal effects--we don't know yet" (Mann1978).

In August 1978, researchers reported that the) findingsof the first study of marijuane.s hormonal effects inthe adult human female were congistent with those ofthe animal studies (pauman et al. 1978). The-study IAnot definitive: the marijuana-using women also usedmuch more alcohol, making it difficult to separate.theeffects of each of the drugs. However, among the groupof 26 women, 20 to 27 years old, who smoked marijuana3 or Sore times a week and used alcohol heavily,there was evidence of impaired ovulation and defectivemenstrual cycles in 38 percent of the cases (versus 12percent in the -nonusers). ,The report notes that theimplications of impaired fertility among adult femalesmay be of "considerable practical importance." Theresearchers also found'that although regular marijuanause decreases testosterone levels in males, it increases,testosterone levels in females. Dr. Joan Bauman (1978)warns that-,both these preliminary findings are particu-larly rle,),Iant to adolescent girls. Any drug thataffects norMal menstrual cycles in the 'adolescent mayadversell affect fertility and reproductive heaththe 'Yourig-adUlt. Girls with irregular cycles areparticularly vulnerable to any hormonal disturbances,for healthy and-regulav ovulation may take severalyears to develop' in the teenager. Increased testosteronelevels may also aggravate acne problems in the adolescentgirl. .

Dr. Bauman points out that we have learned the hard waythat artificially induced hormonal alteratiNis An theteenaged girl entail unpredictable tisks. Fdl' example,

42

t

the use of birth control pills in the past to establishmore regular menstrual.cycles or to treat acne in younggirls has been linked with subsequent fertility problemsin.the adult. Recent findings that cigarette smdtingincreases the hazards of hormonal birth controlpillsshould provide further warnings to young girls andwomen about the possible complications of using mari-juana in conjunction with birth control pills or othermedication. .At present, no one knows what the resultswill be.

Marijuana smoking damages lung and bronchial tissu. There isgrowing concern that the contemporary AmeriCan practiceof inhaling and holding marijuana smoke deep in thelungs may precipitate earlier and more serious lungproblems than have been identified in countries where ,

marijuana use has been traditional (Henderson et al.1972; Petersen, in press). In 1976, lung researchersreported that smoking three to five joints a week isequivalent to smoking 16 cigarettes a,day in terms ofimpaired lung function. That Is, 5 joints equal 112cigarettes (Rosenkrantz and Fleischman, in press; Tashkin1978; Nahas and Paton, in press).

Even mpre disturbing ..are the increasing sales of "powerhitters" apd "bongs," Which are designed to blastmarijUana smoke even deeper into the lungs to enable .

the smoker to achieve greater intoxication. That themajor users of these smoking gadgets are children sandyoung teenagers gives new significance to'a 1974 warningthat marijuana's harsh effect on the lungs opens up the"quite unexpected prospect of a.new crop of respiratorycripples early in life" (Paton 1974).

Researchers are finding more and more tobaocolikesubstances in marijuana that make similar, though not*as rapid, contributions to physical impairment. Becausemarijuana smoke has.more carcinogens (cancer-causingchemicals) than tobacco-smoke, it may take fewer jointsthan cigarettes to cause precancerous changes in lung

,tissue. Unfortunately, most regular pot smokers alsosmoke cigarettes, thus increasing health hazards ofboth drugs, as well as intensifying the properties ofboth. For many marijuana smokers,.the effort to stopsmoking causes difficulties more like those caused bygiving up tobacco than giving up alcohol (Science1976),

Marijuana has .advers effects on the heart Smoking a med-. j-. uana joint immediately acelerates the heartbeat(tachycardia): Studies show that adults with iMpairedheart function suffer chest pain (angina pectoris) whenthey exercise aftr'smoking marijuana. Smoking tobaccocigarettes also, affects heart function, but the mari-juana effect is even more pronounced. Thus, people

43

with known heart problems should not smoke marijuana atall. Physicians warn that marijuana's effect on heartfunction may pose an increasing public health problemif use continues te spread among'older adults and ifyouthful users keep smoking pot as they grow older.

Many heart weaknesses. in childrpn and adolescents arenot detected..untit later in life. Whether ihcreasingmarijuana use among, youngsters will precipitate earliermanifestations .of latent heart defects is an openquestion.

Another tachycardia problem for youngsters ig theirgreater susceptibility to. "acute panic reacti frommarijuana intoxication. It is possible that e sud-denly accelerated heartbeat, which is intensified bymore potent pet or hashishcontributes to the "stoned"child's frlIghtening sensatbn that s/he has Aost.physi-^cal as well as mental control.

Marihuana useinayreduce the body's kmmuneresponie to vedousInfections end diseases. Because marijuana accumulates inthe fatty membranes of.the body cells, it affects theentire cellular process, including cell-mediated immu-nity. Although this complex area of research willrequire many years to establish conclusive findings,'there is increasing evidence that marijuana use reducesor alters fundamental cellular-defenses against disease(Petersen 1979; Nahas et al. 1974; Nahas 1976). Becausethere has still been no centralized pooling of informa-tion from parents, physician's, and marijuana usersthemselveS, the practical implications of the lab find-ings are still not established. However, the author'sextensive interviews with pediatricians, parents, andyoung users indicate increasing bronchitis, sinusitis,flus, and viral infections; data from these interviews.

,

have not b6en systematleally analyzed.

%

THC accumulation may affect brain functions. In 1976, Dr. .

Sidney Cohen reported that marijuana use may alter therelative roles of the right and left hemispherOs of thebrain, with significant impairment of verbal-analytic

\)

tasks. To some degree, his findings substantiate thebservation by a Canadian researcher that reguk,armarijuana use seems to decrease his students' ability__ ,

to abstract and synthesize or to perceive apprOpriaterelatiocships when writing univeYsity-level essays(Campbell 1976). In 1978, Dr. Robert Heath and hisassociates revealed that his studies with rhesus monkeysindica,ted that heavy marijuana use (one joint a day)produced permanent changes in deep-brain areas thataffect emotion and behavior. Of particular.significancewas a widening df the gap between brdin cells (.thesynaptic cleft) across which nerve impulses are trans-mitted (Harper et al. 1977; Nahas and Paton, in press).

44 :

I

If auch.brain changes also owdur in tiuman befings, theymight .explain the slowing .of thought processes andspeech patterns that have been observed among, heavymarijuana users.

L.

The chemical actCon of marijuana on the braih producesvarious changes in thought processes, such a'S impairedMemory, difficulty in concpntration, preoccupation withinternal.visual imagery, and logical inconststency inverbal:communication. Most of these changes are not:serious:in the infrequent user and are linked mairft tothe 2- to 6.1-hour period of intoxication. In the regUlarusor, the changeelloy be more pers,istent, but theyappear to be reV6fsible when use is diiminished orstopped. However, in heavy, lbng-termlusers, someneurological impairment may Ie irreversi le--especially _

in kprms.of complexintelloctual tasks). volving memoryand'analysiS.2

The escalating potcncy of m rijuana prod4ts is raisingnew conCerng about more.dramatic and 'adute thoughtdi,sordors among some users. Airhile'actinlg as medicaldirector of many, mass youth festivats,andtrock concertsduring a 10-year period, Dr. William. Abrulczi has treatedover 5,00p drug-induced "bad trips." .Altillbough LSD,amphetamine s. and many.mixed drugs cauSqd the moStroblems, he reports that so-called "sdper grass"arljuana _laced with PCP) and "hash Oil" can precipi-

t e aft-immediate state of acute panic and disorienta-tion, sometimes inditt4rfluiahabTe from schizolphtrenia,annd that'marijuana "flashbacks's are rap'idly increas-.ing--although flashbacks are'usually momentary and -

rarely require treatment. Dr. Abruzzi.warns,that Oungpeoplo accustomed to Weak, "street grase are7Empreparedfor the stronger substances often passed arodnd at rock'concerts (Abruzzi 1977; personal interview 1978).

intsrfsrenc with, psychomotor functions. Marijuana intoxica-tion, like, al&mhtl antoxication, impairs psychomotorfunction. ,Dr. William-gollin, Director of the NationalInstit6te on Drug AbuSee spoke about this in his July1979 testimony on the Illealth Consequence'of MarijuanaUse" before the Rouse Select Committee'on NgrcottcsAbuse and Control:'

4.

6944tfr'

2These neurological con(l.erns, based on clinical observe-tiOnS, have been expressed by Dr. Sidney_Cohdn, of theMarihuana Research Project, at UCLA School of Medicine,and by Dr. Robert GilkeFfon, of University-Hospital,Case Western Reserve. University, and Dr. WilliamStuart, of the Atlanta Nelrelogical Clinic. See also,K.I. Fehr, "Pot-i.ndUcod brain damage real possibility,",The Journal (Addiction Research Foundation) 8 (Junei 9 7 : 6. 4

45 -1.4

Bvidence strongly suggests Chat being "high"interferes with driving, flying and othereomplex psychomotor performance at usval, nif

leVels of social usage. With the exception.

one early, rather inadequate sCudy, researchihvolming such divdrse areas as perceptualcdmponents of the driving task, driver andflight simulator performance, test course andactual.: driving behavior, all teind to show

. significant performance and perceptnal deficiAsrelated to .being Idyl). that make functioningmore hazardous.-

While there have been n1) Major recent studiesther-C is now some evidence that marijuana useat typical. social levels may fmpair drivingability and related skills. Studies indieat-ing impairment of driving skills include:laboratory assessment of driving-relatedskills, driver simulmtor studies, teSt courseperformance, and actual street driver per-formance. A study conducted 'for the NationalBighwayTraffic Safety Administration ofdrivers involved in fatal accidents alsosuggests possible marijuana involvement.

Despite their commonly expressed belief thattheir driving skills are impaired by cannabisintoxication, there is reason for believingthat more marijuana,psers drive today while"high" than was tree_in the past. As usebecomes increasingly common and sociallyacceptable and as the risk of arrest forsimple possession decreases, still morepeople are likely to risk driving while high.In limited survdy's, from .60,percent to BOpqrcent of marijuana users q4estioned indi-cated that they sometimes'drive while highMarijuana use in combination with alcohol igalso quite common and the risk of the twodrugs used in combination mciy well be greatethan that posed la'y either alone.

A study reported in 19016 of drivers involvedin fatal- accidents in the greater Boston area 7

was.cenducted by.. the Boston University AccidentTeam. They found that mai-ijuana smokers wereovertlopresented in fatal highway accidents as'compared to a control group of nonsmokers ofsimilar ago aed sex.

14

There are several converging linos of evidence.that simulated driving performance for somtsubjects cite be impaired when under 'theinfluence of marijuanin, including users'

46

a

subjective assessments of their drivingskills ,while "high," measures of dciving-related performance,,and finally, a limitedstudy of actual highway fatalites. (Footnotesomitted.)

These findings have clear implications for teenagers,fo.r whom automobik accidents are the major cause ofdeath. In Minneapolis, reporters found that many teensdrive while smoking pot (Rigert and Shellum 1977b). One17-year-old former pot smoker recalled driving while sohigh that "sometimes I couldn't hardly see. I wouldn'tdrive with anybogy else who was loaded, but I'd drivemyself no matter how high I was." A 16-year-old girl,who was a marijuana dealer in,trii14---gchool, revealed,that she often took other people's cars to make del4ver-ies, driving"without a license while stoned on pot. "Ifeel scared now, thinking about it," she said, "it'slike going Bp on the toads and not seeing stop signsthat much."

ic000-ocarcw4"scs,

There are many other areas in the medical research thatraise questioes about-the hea,lth hazards of marijuanause--e.g., the possibility of chromosome damage, inhib-ited DNA synthesis, changes in the human genetic pool,and sond-generation fertility problems. Because itwill be rally years before these hypotheses can beteseed, and because most of these concerns are tootechnical or too,remote to interest most 9- to 14-year-olds, parents will probably be wise to' confine theirmarijuana-health,diScussions with their children to thephysical problems most relevant to adoleseence.

Parents shoulck be careful not to overwhelm the childwith marijuanaAnformation and to exercise_tact anddiscretion in usipg difreimilt_hvalth arguments atdifferent times. For many younger children, the knowl-edge th4ot their p*ents oppose maruana use becayse ofhealth hazards is7sufficient. Often youngsters needonly one sound reoson to say "no, thanks" when they areoffered the first joint:

. psychological and motional problemsassociated with adolescent marijuana use

Although young adolescents tend to be most concernedabout the effeots IKE marijuana,on their developing'bodies, parents are often more cofteerned .about thedrug's effect on their child's developing personality.

Rei-sonality and behavforAl changes will probably occurlOng before any physical changes, become obvious, Utpugh

It

.

many of the psychological problems may have a physio-logical basis. Some observers of heavy marijuana usershave described an &motivational syndrome; in which theuser becomes apathetic, lethargic, passive, and with-drawn (Kolansky and Moore 1972; Bejerat,..et al. 1974;

.

Malcolm.1976). Younger users tend to lose interest Inschool, sports, iclubs, and othey vigorous or engagingactivities. Their lives.seem to harrow in focus, asthey become more preoccupied both with the rituals ofdrug use and with drug-using friends. The youngstermay trequently be fatigued, depressed, and moody. S/hemay have a tendency.toward paranoia and complain thateveryone ts "down on me" or that someone is always"hassling me." Despite the apathy krid withdrawal, s/hemay flare up and become hostile when questioned byparents or teachers about altered behavior or attitudes.

A major difficulty facing parents is that many marijuanausers cannot recognize that,the drug is affecting theirpersonality or behavior. Some adolescent.4. psychiatrists -point out that positive psychological change is almostimpossible to achieve in the 15-year-o1d who begansmoking pot at age 11 and who refuses to stop duringthe treatment period. T4ey believe that only a.drug-free regimen will allow the child to reg&in psychologi-cal health.

Although the marijuana user may not think s/he needspsychiatric or medical help, Dr. lan Henderson viewsthis rationalizing process as a subtle but often unrecog-nized danger among young marijuana users (1977). Hewarns that marijuana use today is part of a "trendy,experiential movement that concerns pleasurable alteredstates off consciousnese; the risk tn this trend isthat there is a temptation to ignore a subtle aud'seductive development or "the drug-induced state as apreferred state of consciousness." The danger thenexists, particularly for the immature and impressionableadolescent, that the drug-induced state will be'equatedwith normality and the.drug-free state will he regarded,as- "depressed, apathetic, and dull." As drug-altered'living becomes increasingly normale drug dependencebecomes a distinct, possibilityregardless of thevarying "addictive" qualities of the drug.

One of the most striking examples of this type ofmisperception is found among marijuana-using adolescentathletes. After a lengthy investigation in Florida in1976, reporter John Wolin revealed that half of hiscounty's 6,000 high school athletes smoked pot (Wolin1976; personal interview 1977). The athletes themselvesthought Wolin's figure was too low.

Sports has long been defended iv; a sanctuaryfrom the evils of society. The investigation

40

of the News.indicates that nothing could befurther from the truth. "A coach today wouldhave, to be pretty naive to think his athletesare not partof the main stream of the.youth,culture," said a football coach. "It wouldbe deplorable to condone it, but the realityof the situation is that it's everywhere."

(Wolin 1976)

Wolin points out that despite medical studies whichindicate the contrary, many'teenage athletes believethey play better when high on marijuana:

"Playing stoned wasn't like I thought itwould be," said one basketball player. uIfigured I'd be slow, not really into it. But-it wasn't like that. I felt like I had more'style . . ." said a football player, "I can'get stoned before a game, I pearl rea117 blownaway, and when I 0 out on Ole field, t don'teven feel it. It makes me hyper. It speeds-me up. III., been getting stoned since seventhgrade, so r know where I'm going to be. Iknow I cdn conCrol myself when I go out onthe field enough so I won't show it."

1

4

Drug experts say athletes smoke pot becaiL-gt it givestheM a euphoric dxperience: "Once in a euphoric state,they feel they gen do practically anything.r

However, nonusing athletes and coaches chili. that"players under the intluence are only deluding them-selves wheri they believe they have? greater playingcapabilities." Perhaps the most insidious effect ofadolescent marijuana use is that mood-altering drugsprovide a quick and simple escape from the stressesthat aro a normal part of growing up. A youngster whocontinually blots out pain, beredom, or frustration,never learhs to cope with them. Many youngsters whohabitually get'stoned at parties and games do not learn

,to converse and to participate; they do not developftociall skills. Being stoned is a nelf-absorbing,solf-Itmiting, antisocial experience. Teenagers whocontinually "qet high" May grow up believing thatgetting high is the only way to enjoy anything, Young-sters who du not experience and grow.out of adolescencebecause of regular-drug uso stand a good chance of becom-ing chemically dependent adults.

4 9

the sequential pattern Of drug useand Its possible knpact on the adolescent

0Althoughlikv\ijuana serves as the major "gateway drug"into the use,of illegal drugs, the major gateway drugsinto marijuana use are -two legal drugstobacco andalcohol. Children are increasingly taught in substanceabuse-programs in the schools'that tobacco and alcohola're drugs with high potential for abuse. Thus, it isimportont fár parents, whe,,ther or not they use tobaccoor alcohol, to xecognize the health hazards of bothlegal drugs and to include them in their antidrug,prohealth discussions with their children. The emphasi,sin parent/child health discussions should be the specialvulnerability of the developing body and brain to theeffects of all three drugs, and the possibility that apremature choice may lead to eventual chemical depend7ency.

Marquana and tobacco. Children are trying tobacco ciga-rettes at younger and younger ages (Williams 1971). Formany children, however, the critical ages are 11 and,12. A child's.decision to begin smoking cigarettes isone of the Most consi4tent indicators that s/he willtry marijuana (Smith and Fogg 1978). The factorslinking these two "smoking behaviors" are complex, butboth are related to the desire to look "cool" andolder, to be daring, and to relieve boredom and tension.

Because children often receivo thorough and impressiveI% antismoking informaticin in health classes, parents haveA sound base to work from i.n preventing their childrenfrom taking up toba.cco smoking, the most addictive ofall drug habits. By simultaneously dealing with mari-juana as a smoking problem,-parents can work to preventboth unhealthy habits.

It is important for youngsters to realize that it hastaken more than 40 years of research for the health

.

hazards of tobacco smoking to be proved and that tobacco)would probably not have remained a legal drug if th6sehazards had beem recognized earlivr. in the interveningyears, however, a multibillion dollar tobacco indubtryhas developed, with, an advertising and merchandisingapparatus sophisticated enough to lure millions ofpeople into smoking and a powerful lobbying organizationto discourage legislation against tobaieo use. Medicalresearch on marijuana is at the plae now that tobaccoresearch was 30 years ago. yhere a 'clear signs thatas the laws on marijuana ar softepOfl, drug advertisersand merchandisers.will rapi ly acc0lerate their hard-sellcampaign in an effort to make marijuana an entrenchedeconomic interest.

A.

The Surgeon General of the United Sta6es has statedthat tobacao is associated with 300,000 deaths eachyear, nearly 12 petcent of all deaths,in this country.Researchers point out that of those teenagers who smokehmore than one or two casual cigarettes, only 15 pepcent'will avoid becoming regular dependent smokers--"Once asmoker, always a smoker! This is only a slight exaggera-tion" (Russell 1977). Moreover, as with marijuana use,the damage from cigarettes is greater the earlier thehabit is acquired.

Marltuana and alcohol. Although themarijuana and tdbacco poseshealthy respiratory developmentcombined use of marijuana and aldanger to their healthy physicarment. For many youngsters,'alcohol serves as a gateway tsome hreas where marijuana ischildren try pot before boozehopes in the 1960s that marijeless harmful than alcohol, wouidsurvey in 1978 made clear thatoff" between these intoxicati

ned smoking ofatest threat to theadolescents, theposes even greateremotional deVelop-

ecision to drinkarijuana use (though inadily available, manyDespite the early

, wkich then seemedpl4e alcohol use, a

there as been no "trade-cftrMicals (Johnston et'

al, 1977; also personad communication 1978). Instead,use of both intoxicants had accelerated among chilOrenand teenagers, until the pot-plus-booze consumptionpattern bec:ame the major drug abuse problem among 10-to 17-year-olds News_and_World Weport 1975).

Parents are often relievedothat their children aredrinkinginstead of using illegal drugs, but they needto recognize that adolescent drinking patterns todayare different from the teenage experiments of the1950s. Not only do youngsters start drinking earlier,they drink more frequently and more heavily. In 1976,an HEW survey of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders invarious west coast school districts indicated that 45percent of the children cimpidered themselves alcoholusers (Social Advocates fd,Youth 1977). In the sameyear, 72 percent of the seventh graders in San Mateo,California, said they had used alcohol during thepreceding year (San Mateo County 1976). Nationally,more than 10 percent of high school students have usedalcohol, with 21 petcent drinking fiVe,or more drinksper occapion and 30 percent getting drunk several timeseach year (U.S. Department of Health, Education, andWelfare 1978).

Like tobacco and marijuana use, regular alcohol use cando more physical and emotional damage to the immatureyoungster than to the mature adult. Duo to the differ-ences in adolescent body chemistry, alcoholism as adisease can develop much.. Mere, rapidly in the teenagenthan in the physiologically mature pereon. In 1978,

surveyors announced that while 7 percent of the adultpopuLation are problem drinkers, 19 percent of the 12-to 17-year-olds who drink are problem drinkers (U.S.Department of He'alth, Education, and Welfare 19743).Some experts predict that one out of five Amer4canado/escents will become chronic alcoholics in theirtwenties.

Unfortunately, many parents have become so'frighte0edabout illegal drugs that they turn a blind,eye to theIse of alcohol by minors.

Most parents of today's te9nagers grew up inthe fifties. They feel relieved and compla-cent te see their teenage children turning tothe values of those ,times, including theprom, the fraternity, and the consumption ofacceptable alcoholic beverages rather than"hard stuff" or marijuana. They feel no needto make the use or misuse of alcohol a focusof family concern, and thus peer sanction oreducat[ion related to alcohol use predominates.

(Ryback 1976)

Dr. David Smith, whO. works with many young drug usersat the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in San Fran-cisco, warns that mixing alcohol and marijuana is"breeding a whole new generation of new age alcoholics"(Thd Journal 1977). He notes t.hat many of his adoles-cent patients have used marijuana before using alcohol;when they.add alcohol, they use it to get more "wasted."Ignorance of the effects of combining alcohol withmarijuana has almost preved.fatal in several emergencycases:

These young people are unaware, just as themedical community is unaware, that marijuanahas some sedative-hypnotic properties.Therefore, it is partially cross-tolerantwhen added to alcohol. A kid who is usingamount of alcohol and Y amount of marijuana,one dAy combines the two. He does net realizethey are partially addictive and it puts himover the top.'

CeMplete intoxication, and often acute alcohol poison-ing, is the result.

Marijuana and othr Illegal drugs. Although tobacco, alcohol,and marijuana in combination are the major adolescentdrug problems, there is also growing evidence that manyt

1From an interview by the author with Dr. Smith.1

52

(;))

.-marijuana users try other illogal drugs. In 1976, Dr.Robert L. DuPont, then Dikector of the National Instituteon Drag Abuse, pointed but that various surveys clearlydemonstrated that "marijuana is the gateway into illicitdrug use in America today. If people do not use mari-juana, they simply do riot use other illicit substances."Among the great numbers of'teenagers who will trymarijuana at some time, the great majority will not tryother illegal drugs. However, a substantial majorityof heavy marijuana users (that 11 percent of a schoolpopulation whO smoke several times- or more a week),Will try harder drugs.

In '078, 59 percent of high schoOl seniors reportedsome marijuana use and 16:5 percent reported usingother illegal drugs (Johnston et al. personal interview1978). Other drugs used were predominantly "pills"--stimulants, sedatives, and tranquilizers--which were usedby about 20 percent of the seniors without a'physician'sprescription. Fourteen percent used various hallucinogensor psychedelics, such as LSD, mescaline, peyote, and peal-ocybin. Two drugs that rapidly became faShionable, andwhose use rates doubled in recent years, were cocaine (13percent) and phencyclidine or PCP (7 percent) (Johnstonet al. personal interview 1978; Abelson et al. 1977).Heroin use remained relatively stable at about 2 percent.

Dr. DuPont observed: "Only a portion of those whoreach any step go on to the next, so that we have 16million regular marijuana users but only 500,000 heroinusers (in the total population). The inteeesting thingis that when people stop using drugs, they Usually goback down these same steps in'reverse sequence" (U.S._lqews and World Report 1978). Marijuana use is a pre-cursor for those who go.on to other drugs. Among usersof stimulants and sedatives ("uppers" and "downers"),97 percent report Treviously using marijuana; 100percent of hallucinogen users report using marijuana;and 100 percent of cocaine users reporting using mari-juana (DuPont 1976).

The sudden rise in the use of PCP or "angel dust" hasparticular significance for parents and children.Known uho of PCP has jumped from 3 to 7 perqpnt among12- to 17-year-olds. PCP is ofteq marketed eb marijuana(users under a variety offancifu and deceptive streetnames. The best way to'avoid P P, a very dangerous.drug, is to avoid marijuana. The youngster who doesnot use pot is not likely to use PCP, either intention- :ally dr accidentally.

When a teenager begins to mix drugs s/he enters an' unpredictable avd dangerous world4.. When most youngpeople try tha0-first marijuana jOint, they do notexpect to become polydrug abusers. The reasons why so

53

many youngsters (.19ajority of reciular irsers) eventuallytry other drugs are ,undoubtedly complex. Pot maybecome boring ,after awhile, and youngsters may seek toheighten the effect by adding other intoxiCants.Alcoho/ is the most common choice, but PCP and cocaineare becoming more common. Or, a child may turn toother drugs to counteract the. lethargy that often.accompanies habitual marijuana use. A child may succumbto peer pressures to try other drugs, or s/he mayexperiment out of curiosity or a deSire for adventure.'

Another factor may be the youngster's contact withdealers who are themselves frequently multidrug users.It is important for parents to recognize that the useof the word "dealer" instead of "pusher" reflects thevoluntary, two-way, \consumer-supplier relationshipwithin the drug cultdre (Langer 1977; Lieb and Olsen1976). Users tend to think of dealers as friends, notas criminals. However, despite the friendly style ofthe dealing world, drugs cost money. 81/01 $t jointsadd up to a considerable expen or the seventh oreighth grader, and naturally the cos rises as a child'sconsumption increases. Thus, youngs rs who becomeheavy users of marijuana may dealton t side to payfor their own supply, to yet a little pocket money, orto supply other frrends.

In MinReapolis, reporters who investigated the teenaupot-sufpply network in "Marijuana High," learned thatthe te'enagers often pay a high dice:

TeOiagers are at the end of the pot line.They are the ,victims of ripoffs and retalia-tions, prrce gouging arisl bum dope, mixedchemicals and immature.mInds. They are thevictims of each other. In the teenage jungleof pot dealing, those who live by the ripoffalso suffer from the ripoff. They kill eachother's dogs or tear up each other's .turnitureor beat each other up in vengeful foraysafter money isnrt paid, pot isn't deliveredor supplies are stolen.

In this underground of youthful lawlessness,thoser- who enter the "business" also live theroles. They hide their wetd in hollowed-outhooks, false pockets, secret linings, orur?er a hat; bhey do their dealing in toilets.alln, tight indoor crowds, or loose outdoorgroups--perhaps with a lookout, perhaps not.Sometimes they get caught; most times they donot./

The teenager dealers get away with theirripoffs beCause unsophisticpted customers are

54

f-

constantly coming into the market. If adealer is stuck with an oversupply of cheap'grass, he or she can always peddle it at ajunior high school. If the dealer needs somequick money, he or she can usually inflatethe price on a naive "jock" or eager newcomer.

(Rigert and Shellum 1977a)

The Minneapolis teen dealers trace their own multidraginyolvement to three main'factors--they got tirepot, or their friends tried other'drugs, or Aealerpushed them to try other drugs.

A youngster who is deeply involved in. drugs, even whin'it is "mere" marijuana, usually turps to his/her dealersas mentors and guides 4instead of to his/her'parents orother responsible adults. In Washington;10D.C., onemother of a pot-and-PCP "wasted" boy recounted that hereighth-grade son and six close frtends trusted pot.'("They could handle it. None of them failed school,got caught, or was busted.") They respected theirdealers ("The kids trusted them the way parents trusteda long-sought honest car medhanic"). By the time theseteenagers were juniors in high school, they were shoot-ing heroin. By age 18,' three of the friends were deadfrom drug-related accidents; one had suffered brSindamage frop inhaling intoxicating chemicals; and theother three were alive but "nearly phobie" about thedangert of drags and drug dealers (De Silva 1977).

In summary, the youngster who uses a variety ot drugsbecomes vulnerable to the unpredictable and dangerouseffects of mixihg drugs and of mixing with drug dealers.For the young multidrug uaer, the temptation to dealincreases with the vAriety,frequency, and duration ofdrug use. Parents need to be aware that "nice kids"can drift thoughtlessly and carelessly into dealing astheir drug expenses increase and as pressure ftomdealers and other ustalr,4, increases. Parents also needto recognize that any youthful drug dealer is in dangerof being arreited.

the marijuana legal situationroots and ramifications

The status of marijuana in the criminal justice systemis confusing. In the 1960s,as marijuana use increasedat colleges and ouniversities, many Americans weredisturbed by the criminal charges brought Against young'.adult pot smokers who were otherwise law-abiding citizens.In 1967, a 19-year-old could get 10 years in prison insome States for,possessing small amounts of marijuana.This harsh penalty seemed unequal to the crime: thepattern in the 1960s of infrequent use of low-potencymarijuana by healthy young adult:S did not seem tocreate a serious enough social or health problem to

ys

14

warrant such harsh criminal penalties. Many law enforce-ment officials were reluctant to enforce the severe andseemingly unjust marijuana laws, and a public movement'began to revise the Marijuana laws.

In oome parts of the country, the public response tothe Marijuana dilemma has bee to reduce the penaltiesfor personal use of marijuana. In many States, posse's-sion of less than an ounce of marijuana for personaluse is a misdemeanor instead of a felony. This is"decriminalization," Unfortunately; this terM is oftenloosely defined by its proponents and widely misconstruedby the public. Adding to the confusion is the fadtthat marijuana laws vary widely from State to State;.And ig many places little or no attempt 's made to ,

enforce these laws.

Two points are crucial for parents and young people tordcognize. First, decriminalization is not legalizationof marijuana. Marijuana remains an illegal substancein all 50 States and there are severe criminal penalties.for dealing or intending to deal. Second, decrimi-nalization applies to adUlt usedbf marijuana. Use byminors continues to be illegal, although it is usuallyhandled by the juvenile justice system.

The debate overkmarijuana's legal status needs to be,focused more clearly on adults; there are forcefularguments both for and against revising the marijuanalaws, but they apply to adults. The failure of thedebaters, on both sides, to make clear distinctionsbetween adults and minors has created confusion aboutthe continuing restrictions on the use of all drugs byjuveniles--including alcohol and tobacco as well asmarijuana.

Most young teenageiks do not have an informed viewpdinton marijuada decrilinalizationC many believe that.

decriminalization means that pot.will be lrgal andcheaper. Thus., it is important for parents to keepinformed about the current legal situation, and to workto instill in their children understanding of andresEect,for the law. The experiences of the Statesthat have-decri-minalized possesaion of small amounts ofmarijuana for personal use by adults is that many-youngsters interpret arly reform of the marijuana lawsas an open invitation to smoke pot. Surveys Ahowthat juvenile use, traffickipg, and driving under theinfluence of drugs accelerate rapidly in the wakeof liberalized adult laws (California'State Office 1977;New York State Division 1978).

Given the tremendous problem that law enforcementofficers face with bigtime, highly organized criminaltrafficking in all drugs from marijuana to heroin, the

56

3

problem of marijuana dealing at the'street level hasbeen assigned a lower,priority. This does not mean thatthe police and narcotics officers condone adolescentmarijuana use or minimize the social and legal hazardsof sucn use. But the family is the best place to controlthe Arowing problem of marijuana 'use by minors. The,educators, the government, and the police segm to besaying7-"Parents, it's up to you'."

5 7

c"I

,......____F1111111.11111=1MMEMEMMEMMOMM.

4. what youtcando toprevent or stop youi Childfrom using drugs

As the precedingfchapters have shown,/your child is 'growing up in a society increasingly saturated with thevalues and practices of the' drug culture. At the sametime that your child is bombarded with "use drugsmessages from the popular music, media, and merchandis-ing worlds, the traditional institutions that once werea source_of stability have lost much of their influenceover the young. HoWever, despite a rash of headlinesprocraiming that "The American Family Is Falling Apart,"a 1977 study-A0covered that "Teenagers'Say Parents AreGreatest Influence" (Encyclopaedia Britannica EducationCorporation 1977).

.

Rosenthal 'and Mothner remind us that the drug abuseproblem can be solved, especially if parents becomeactive in the effort to solve it.. Noting that drug useamong youngsters is probably the most disquietingdilemma of our times, they observe:

In a frenzy of concern, some patents and somecommunities demand solutions the same si-ze asthe problem, hmqe answers. They waut vasteducational campaigns 'for Arug abuse preven-tion, massive tyeatment programs, and rigidenforcement of drug prohibitions tO cut off-drugs at or near the source.

.There are many plaft$ proposed today to endrampaging drug abus, and few of them assignmuch responsibiXty to the family. Conven-tional 'wisdom seems to have relegated thefamln, to the sociOlpgical scrap heap,- dumpedit as an outdated and underpowered piece ofsocial machinery.' The search is'for

58

r)

4,,

institutippal aAswers. . ;But the familyremains the best bufwark'against drugs. . . .

Drugs are An obvious peril, and the bestprotection young people have against thisperticular peril is their parents. Most oIthe time, parents can prevent their childrenfrom using drugsor 'Atop them il-they havealready begun:

(Rosenthal andMothner 1972, pp. ix-x, 15)

In 1972, as marijuana use dMong adolescents began torapidly accelerate, drug counselors began to warnparents:

There is .close to an even chance that youryoungsters iill play around with some drug`someday. It is the worse kind of unrealityto expet them to scamper through adolescencewithout ever toming up against drugs. Sinceyou can't protect your children from what has

' become an almosttinevitable encounter, youhad best prepare -them for it and prepareyourself, too. . . if drug trbubles come,you must be ready to stiek'by your mno druqlattitude and make your attitude stick. 'Youcannot wait for.druggism to 'burn out". . . .

Your attitude about drugs is no attitude atall if tt permits children to decide aboutdrugs for themselves; it will not berespon-,

Aihte if it (Wows adolescents to use psycho-active drligs regularly or even occasionally.To'many modern parents, a blanket drug prohibi-tion sounds tard-nosed and autocratic. itis. But there Aee sound.reasona for it andways to establish it and make, it hold.Parents have more muscle than they are usuallyprepared to use, more resources than they arewilling to plig into 'play. All that is requiredis one sirlple but very difficult decision--making.u0 your mind to 0 to the limitsneoessary to keep, your youngster clean.

(Rosenthig and Mothner 1972, pp. 17-10)

In 1974,, two 'family counsells warned pArents:

We cannot afford to underehtiMate drug usage.,,What a Few years ago.-was, a minor proWem oncollege campuses' is. now in the grade schook,

. , None of us can make the mistake of.30eing it as "soMehody else s aild, notmine." If your teenage son or daughter is

v

t

1

"average," he or she has already experimentedwith drugs, or will soon.

(Bird and Bird 1974, p. 182)"

By 1978, estimates of marijuana use among adolesoentsranged trom 60 to 80 percent.

Parent power can reverse this trend, and parent powerbegins ib the home.J

What you can dowithin your own family

1) Seek out ,information on drugs and the current drugscene in_order to_be a crediyln so ce of informationfooRyour child. Most communit' ave drug and alcoholabuse programs that can prov e literature and counseling.Public and university librajHes .carry many reference

.books on legal and illega drugs. Many excellentpamphlets can be ordered from Federal and State Govern-ments. (See selectea bibliography.)

vile wary, however, about much .of the material on mari-juana, which is not usually written with children andadolescents in mind. Furthermore, most of the important'physiological research on marijuana appeared after.1972, when marijuana standardized for TUC contentbecame more widely 'available to scieritists (Doorenbos1979): Thus, it is important to find updated studieson marijuana. The National Institute on Drug Abuseplans major research on the particular problems ofadolescent marijuana use, so there should be more -

useful'information available in the futbre.

Keep up with lofal press and medi,a coverage on the drugascone, but watch for biased., misleading, or over-simplified coverage. Try to keep informed about thenew fad drugs because curiosity and misleading informa-tion may make your children especially susceptibleto them. Your familiarity with fad drugs will enhanceyour credibility with your childre'h. If drug-advocacyli,terature is sold.i-e_your community, read it to learnmore about the commerclalized drug culture.

You do not need to "rap" or talk street slang with yourchild. S/he needs to hear an adult point of yiew ondrugs; s/he gets enough rapping and slang from his/herpeers. Jnitiatet disenskions with your kids about drugsand the local drug scene, makingthe subject a sharedarea of interest. It is important for your child torecognize that you are interested in what Is going onin his/her world.

60

Atlanta policewoman Dorothy Lenlie emphasizeAhowimportant it is for parents to learn abolit the yoAhfuldruy scene and to use that kRowledge;

Prior to working at the 011ce departMent, t

didn't know anything about drugs and crione.I've learned a lot and it's helped me a lotin guiding my own kids. Tt changed the way Iwodld have brought,them up. I'm 4%lot firmerthan I would have been. It's not enough totell kids to be car('fiil, to Stay awAy-..fromdrugs, You've got to ghow tem and knowswhatyou're talking about.

(McElroy 1977)

Keep the drug situaf.ton an open topic of cotiversation,but do. not depend on your children o5 your only sourceof informatioti. Ask questions of other parents, teachers,youth counselors, narcotics officers, and ueighbors.Talk to your children's triends;-they will often welcomethe chance to open Up with somebody other than theirparents. Kids like to talk to adu1ts--t4 more the-,better.

2) Be alert for signs of druiuse. There may, not be ,

any immediate physical signs o marijuana, hallpcinogens,or pill use. Alcohol is easy to detect becaUsb of itsodor. Mariju,ana use iscparder to detect. Cigarettesand beerjare often'used to disguise the odors of mari-juana on the sumption that parents won't'panic abouttheir use. Kids often usp incense, room deodorigers,or pertume to disguise the odor in their rooms or cars.

To the question, "How can P tell if my child is takingdrugs," two drug counselors reply:

There are no sure proofs, except fin44ng thedrugs or finding the child taking driigs or I.

coming upon him when he is high or low oi way, out somewhere. . . . Instead of lOoking for

drugs, or symptoms of drug use, look forchanges in the young'Ster himself. Is he

,keeping peculiar hours? Has his schoolworksuddenly gone had? Has he lost weight? Hashis dress changed from casual and gloppy todownright dirty? is, he often vague andwithdraWn? Many of those changes, likefrequent changes of mood, are typical of alladolescents at ono time or another. Their

r need for privacy may lead them to secretways, furtive phone calls, and meetings thathave nothing. to do withsdru(j s. However, tryou know your child and ) you have caught.on to

61

comhination of these changes, then you havilgOod reason hir making a move.

(Rosenthal and Mothnier 1972, p. 70)

Physicians who specialize in ,adoleseent medicine warnthat parents should not rationalize troubling changesin their children's behavior by saying, '1It's prohaWyjust a phase." They list symptoms such as lowtolerance for frustration, poor impulse control, muddledthinking, depression, truancy, and lack of activeparticipation as danger signals (Blotcley 1977).

The problem may not he clrugs--hut there is a possibilitythat drugs may be either the immediate cause or d con-tributing factor. For example, t - youngster may be upsetwith a.girltriond or boyfriend, f ustrated with a toughmath course, or _feeling unpopular at school;.-if Vheuses drugs to4pask these feelings, they tend to get evynmore out of contrel. Excessive Complaints may indicate

drug-induced inahility to cope with normal adolescentstress.

If your demonstrates some of those behavioralsymptoms,.qo not accuse him/her of using drugs. Instead,spend more time with your son,or daughter. Keep youreye on your child and get to know more about his/herfriends. Be alert to other problems and ask him/herif s/he is. drinking, smoking pot, or using other drugs.If s/he admits to drug use, immediately begin a familyeffort to curtail it., If s/he denies using drugs, butthe symptoms remain, intensify your investigation ofyour child's friends, activities, and environment.

If you then find physical evidence of drug use--such asthe sinell of mariivana (a ,sweet odor, like burnt rope.)a htitt -or "roach" from a marijuana joint, seeds, leaves,matches, rolliuq papers, pipes, "bongs," alcohol con-tainers, powders, pills, oyedrop bottles, inuense, orroom deodor1 6er3, take immediate action.

I) Make it clear that you will not allowyour_child touse drugs. Take 0 firm i'ntellOctual and emotionalstand, and then spend a lot of time with your child.Do not argue with liim/her when ,.s/he is "stoned" ondrugs or alcohol or when you are.too angry to be coherentand reasonable, Talking with your child -1..s the mostimportant part of the process. This should not he'a

4(me-shot outburst pr a 10-minute chat between appoint'-'ments, hut the beginning of an ongoing, open-endeddiscussion, Iln'imt attack your child, put him/her down,or sneer. S/ho needs help!

%

het your child know why you are upset about his/hera drug use. Tell your child what you have noticed abolit

his/hor behavior or moods or preOecupations. Tell your

62

I A.,

child why you are afraid of drug use. Don't becomehysterical Otr exaggerate the dangers'of drug&,-you millonly seem ridiculous and out of touch with reality.But don't be afraid to let your son or daughter knowthat you are hurt, disappointed, and worried.

Insist that both of you educate yourselves better aboutboth legal and illegal drugs aad their effects. Focusyour discussion of these effects on the particularproblems.and experiences of your chilirs age group.Try to get him/her to talk about what bothers hitigher,whom s/he likes or dislikes, what satisfies him/hermost, what s/he wants to become. Help your childunderstand the physical changes, psychological conflicts,sexual urgeq, and moods, that are a normal part ofadolescence. Emphasize how important itis that drugintoxication and sedation not interfere with thesecomplicated changes. Make it clear that learning tohandle pressure, to cope with depression, to endurefrustration, to survive loneliness and pain, is whatalloWs a child to mature into adulthood. If booze,pot, or cigarettes are used to "ease the pain" or%relieve the boredom, the youngster may never learn howto cope with -these things naturally and normally.

Bold out eventual independence as the goal you want foryour child. But make clear that the kind of-prehiatureindependwice s/he wants now jeopardizes the .chances forachieving genuine adult independenge. Your most cred-ible and' effective argument for prohibiting prematuredrug use is that it mAy prevent him/her from eventuallygaining full independence as a young dult. Therefvre,define clearly What you mean by heal hy growththe(Irvelopment of an energetic and attra tive body, aclear and capahle mind, an ability to c ntrol impulsesand emotions, ir,.cheerful and optimistic attitude, and aself-confident personality.

4) Back qv your "no drug". rule with a clear and con-siAtent set of behavioral rules and be willing toenforce them. During Cfie period when your child's .

natural impulses are to experiment and push to testboundaries, it is vitally important that you givehim/her strong, fair limits by which to define himselfor herself. It is difficult for an adolescent tO livein a loose, shifting family.environment. In countlessinterviews with drug-troubled older teenagers, one

Ileoa-lks complaints about parents being hypocritical,inconsistent, permissive, selfish, or aloof, but almostnever any complaints about strictness, rules, curfews,chaperoning, or involvement. The No. I and No. 2 .rulesfor.. today's parents should he: "Don't be afraid to.hea Wtrong parent," and "'Don't be afraid oT,your children!"

61

In his bOok, Raising Children in d Difficult Time: APhilosophy_of Parental LeaderShkp and Hi.gh Ideals(1974), Dr. Spock emphasizes that parental timidity isthe most common problem in child rearing in Americatoday. Fle stresses that parents must function a53

grownup mentors wHen raising tenagers, for parentaluncertainty and inconsistency only confuse and angeraaolescents. br. Spock further urges parents not tolower their expectations of how adolescents shouldbehave and, especially, .not to worry 'that their strictstandards will alienate their children or cause maladjust-

Children are made more comfortable in havingbeen kept, from wrongdoing or in paying forit. Underneath, they feel grateful to theirparents. Naturally they won't say thank you;they grumble or sulk temporarily, but thisdoesn't mean they have been diSciplinedunwisely. All children, being lawyers atheart, will experiment once or twice withtrying to make parents feel guilty for somedisapproval or vunishment. If the parentsor(, unable to fend off such a reproach,children will surely bombard them with more

Because drug use occurs within the context of a youngperson's social, academic, and family life, an effectiverule against drugs should he maintained in context withother rules. Therefore, parents should decide whatthey expect from their children and what they expectfrom themselves. With full consideration for theindividual child's interests and abilities, parentsshould lay out clear ground rules on schoolwork, chores,dating, friends, phone caleis, manners, curfews, etc.

Parents should make sure that their children's groupactivities are superv.led by an informed adult. Anaive chaperone may not notice if the tc.ids are stonedor if several disappear from the function. Yot.ir childshould know the rules, and s/he should know that anadult is around who also knows the rules. The knowledgethat s/he will probably get caught and be punished ifh/he breaks the rules will help when s/he is faced withpeer pressure to use drugs or alcohol.

Many parents L mplain that it is difficult to enforcebehavioral rul( ;--especially among teenagers. It isimportant to ostiblish a fair and effective punishment,

,and to use it eaCh time a youngster gets out of line.1 ft may only Like a short while or it may take some

. months to fidAlly convince your child that yourareAerious. This seriousness will mean a lot to even themost troubled youngster. It gives your daughter or sonv

0

64

something to hold onto as s/he begins to reorienthis/her behavior away from drug use.

One of the most: eftectiVe punishments is grounding.This forces thu child to stay home and gives parentsthe chance be talk about the problem over a period oftime. if peer pressure is part of the problem, ground-ing extracts the child from the group. Grounding iseven more successtul when the youngster is also cut offfrom telephone contact with friendS. It also shouldinsure that the youngster lies not use any drugs duringthe homebound period. This may require such unpleasanttastts as scorching the house and the child's room,locking up liquor and medications, and keeping otherpeople out of the house. If Ihe young person hasbecome a regular drug user, s/he will need time toclean out his/her body and clear up his/her mind befores/he can even begin to change his or her attitudes andbehavior.

According to the severity of the infraction, otherprivileges within the home may be revoked--such aswatching television or eating with the family. Onepunishment that often brings immediate reaction fromtetmagerg is taking away their electronic appliances:blow dryers, steam curlers, record players, makeupmirrors, radios, etc.

IT, -after some months, the problem becomes too much forthe family to handler parents should seek professionalhelp. Rowever, such outside help should supplement the

'family e,Efort; it should not be a substitute for continu-ing parental involvement. Furthermore, parents shouldfind out about the counselor's attitude on adolescentdrug nse--dods s/he advocate or condone a juv9nile's"relponsible use" of an illegal drug or does s/headvocate drug-free behavior for the juvenile? You havethe right to know and to choose a counselor whose viewsare compatible with your own.

what you can dowithin your neighboriwod

Parent power may begin at home, but it is most effectiveand rewarding, whop it includes other parents in yourcommunity. The aaoleseent's most effective weaponagainst parental control is the "divide and conquer"strategy, whereby s/ho isolates his/her parents as the*only ones Imforcing certain rules. Rosenthal andMothnor observe that parents today are often sgow to e

it

condemn their own peers, to say flgtly that othparents are plain wrong4

65

si)

Today we are generally reluctant to makejudgments that contradict other pa:rents orideas our yjungsters insist are common to thecommunity. This makes us suckers for the"everybody is doing it" blackmail. And itdoesn't much matter what it is "everybody" isdoing:, staying up until midnight, watchingtelevision on schoolnights, biking down thehighway, going steady at twelve, cuttingschool on Wednesday afternoonsjor ultimately--smoking pot.

(1972, p. 61)

Parents-should not hesitate to make judgments aboutwhat other parents do, for they are thereby helpingtheir children learn to make judgments about theirpeers. Parents should not cover up for their peers.Responsible parents are those who can say, "I don'tcare what the Joneses allow: I don't allow it and T amyour parent." However, as parents who have done thiscan tell you, this stand can be as lonely and difficultfor the parent as for the child.

To avoid this isolation, parents should deliberatelybuild a community of families who will shape and controltheir children's immediate environment. This begins withorganizing get-togethers for the patents of your child'sCriends. Work with them to develop an "eXtended family"with uniform rules and expectations.. These meetingsshould begin by tAe time your child is in fifth grade--the age when most chi/Oren will first encouneer drugs.Some children will already have smoked pot or drunkbeer or smoke0 cigarettes by this stage, but group peerpressure to use drugs develops with the onset Of adoles-cence (any time from age 10 on).

.

When a child.begins the natural process of turninghis/her 'affectiops and loyalties toward the peer group,s/he becomes much more vulnerable to the influence ofthe commercialized drug culture, which is deliberatelydesigned to manipulate and exploit the insecurities,,n'eeds, and-desires of the young consumer. Paredts''groups need to keep themselves informed about currentpeer group interests And fads. If they are unhealthyinfluences, parents should discuss the best ways tocounter them. They should present as united a front aspossible against these influences. For youngsters,"everybody" who is doing so and so may consist of onlythroe friends; if three parents do not allow 4111 and so,then ."everybqy" is ribt doing it. If 30 pareffs do notallow it, or èven Setter, if 100 do not, then a childgrows up in an entirely different community--despitethe infludhces of mass m6dia and merchandisers.

66iN,1

Don't stop with the parents of your child's peer group,hilt make an effort to become acquainted with allibfyour neighbors. Speak frankly about the problems ofmaintaining a healthy neighborhood environment forchildren and teenagers. Make a mutual commitment tokeep informOd about what kids and families are doing,and to exchange information or advice about potentialor actual troubles among title -kids.

In h1 study of the 1970s teenager, George Jones (1977)poihts to the need for "re-establishing not onlystability but cohesion within the community itself--again bringing some consensus to bear on the problemsof young people." Dr. Bronfenbenner (1977) warns that"our social fabric is beginning to rip," but thatneighborhoods can still ". . . provide an informalsupport system for the family." Many parents who havesought the support and cooperation of their neighborshave been surprised at the immediate improvement in theattitudes of both youngstevs and adults.

Bronfenbenner further emphasizes that child rearing, .

including the rearing ot teenagers, is much more funwhen it is shared with other parents, relatives, andneighbors. We tend to forget that a stable, supervised,and safe social environment is also more pleasurablefor youngsters. An Atlanta newsman recalled thatUnited Nations Ambassador Andrew Young used to talk.about growing up in a New Orleans neighborhood thatOared. Young defined this "loving community" as onewhere "he couldn't get far away enough as a youngsterhut that his mother had found out about his indiscre-tions by the time he got ,home." The newsman added thathe himself enjoyed that feeling as a youngster and hehoped to find the same sort of neighborhood for gischildren'(Thorpe 1977) .

The knowledge that adults outside the family care canmean a great deal to a child. Every teaCher, parent,coach, relative, or neighbor who has taken the time andexpended the energy to demonstrate loveand concern forsomeone 61se's child hag been rewarded later by a"thank you" when the child grew up. High school prin-cipal Daniel Davis, who proudly maintained his "oldscho61" ways to keep thE ills of contemporary societyfrom damaging his Atlanfa school, noted at his retire-ment:

1 yet a really good feeling when the numerousgraduates come back to see me. 1 saw a Citycouncilman a while back, and he told me hewouldn't have mad4 it if I hadn't helped tos raighten him out!,

(Reeves 1977)

6 7

work with other parents to developmeaningful alternatives to drug use

While parents rebuild a sense of common expectations,rules, and values among their children, they must alsomake an'effort Lo develop imagindtive alternatives to adrug-oriented social life. Observers of today's. youthstress the need for "restoring to the young a membershipand participation in the broad community beyond theirwalled-in youth culture with its 'hang loose'-philosophy"(Jones 1977). Active participation is a key ingredient.It can take the form of sports, singing, jogging,acting, modeling, building, hiking, or painting. Youngpeople have enormous reservoirs of energy and enthusiasm,and much drug use is linked to the lack of betteroutlets for these drives. Kids need places to dothings together, but they also need adults there tohelp them do things'better, in new ways, and with moreconcern for others.

The most important aspect of teenage parties is thechance to get to know other kids, to work out friendlyand romantic relationships, and to have fun dancingwith each other. Many adolescents complain that "nobodydoes anything" at parties and dances, often adding, that"they're all laid back and stoned." However, the surgeof interest in disco dancing, which requires skill,alertness, and cooperation between partners, points tothe youngsters' interest in active participation.Young disco champion Bruce Racyer points out that"Disco is just as much an art a painting and singing..It is probably closest to ballet. You do a totalroutine. You have to be precise." Thoughtful ,

Rackler adds, "A lot of people have to get higl ondrugs. I can do it with dancing" (Atlanta Journal1978).

Parents should also dqvelop alternatives in spheresother than adolescent social life. Youngsters need anopportunity to work for other people and for largerideals, t6 meet needs beyond their own. One Of themost successful drug abuse prevention programs is inq:loucester, Massachusetts, where an ebullient sculptorbrought renewed vitality and dignity to the local youthculture:

Gloucester was an economically depressedcommunity offering few opportunities or jobsfor youths, and it had a high incidence Ofdrug abuse. Recognizing the need to restoreA historic burial ground, the youths of thistown builk a,program which revitalized theabandoned landmark and other monuments, and

60

in the proeess became a symbol of- a newspirit in the community.

Working with local resource people, GloucesterExperiment youths.have been involved in everystep of the restoration projectsincludingresearch and documentation, landscaping,horticulture, rtpair projects, archaeological'methods, publication, legislation, and mostimportantly, teaching others. Youths in theproject were responsible for organizing,plannin(J , scheduling, followup, budgeting,and reporting--virtually-11. aspects of theventure.

Many of the skills leartied in the project- . .

have become meaningful career goals for theyoung people involved.

(Natjonal Institute on Drug Abuse 1977)

Every community has peopleyoung and old--who needhelp and companionship; teenilyers are a largely'untappedrsource for such community service. Youngsters needto participate in meaningful, thoughtful, and unselfishactivities even more than they need to have fun.

if you are a single parentor working couple

Although some children thrive on the independence andresponsibility conferred on them by working parents,many need more adult supervision and companionship,especially during -early adolescence., In an interviewentitled "Nobody Nqmo: The Erosion bf the AmericanFamily," Dr. Bronfenbenner points out that one-sixth ofour ohildren are living in single pArent families,usually headed by a woman*, and that even in intactfamilies, nearly,one-half of the mothers are working.This means that no parent is at home much of the time:

Increasing numbers of children are cominghome to empty houses. If there's any reli-able predictor of trouble, it probably'beginswith children coming flom !. to an empty house,whether the problem is reading difficulties,truancy, dropping out, "drug addiction, orchildhood depression. . . . The kids findother kids who are coming home to empty

69

houses. They create a peer-grow culture,and it's likely to be an ugly culture. .

(1977, p. 41)

Family counselors 'point out that many parents relaxwhen their .children reach age, 11 to 13, because theconventional misdom is that cido*1 parenting in the earlyyears will get their childre.n through adolescenceunscathed. However, when Bronfenbenner was asked,"What age do you feel is 'mist critical in the developmentof human potential?" he replied:

I was once asked the same "Pquetion at aSenate hearing. I knew I was expected to-saythe first kix years, but I sa.id the junior-

, bigh school years instead. Nowadays they'rethe moat ci-itical in t rms of the destructiveeffects on a /oung pe son's development . .

this youthful ,stage Ls just as critical asthe earjier childhocjd stage. Both are entrypoints into the. pr lems of people not carking.Right now, the junior-high school is often'adisintegrating, alienating world.

(1977, p. 41)

4

Adolescent children of working parents are especiallyvulnerable to unhealthy peer and cultural preasures ifthey Ire allowed to "hang out?" after school unsupervised.When one working single mother learned that her 12-year-o1 d son was smoking pot, she expressed her worriesfrankly h) a scoutmaster and to other fathers in theneighborhood. VW men then put in extra time with theboy, and the healthy transformation of his behaviorcamo sooner than a,yone expected. Another divorcedparent with a 13-year-old daughter learned that childrenwere using her house for afternoon pot parties. ,.5he

rearranged her lunch hour.so she could be home from3:30 to 4:10. he and her daughter spent that timeplanning ohores or activities for the daughter toaccomplish. by 6:00. The neiglibors were also told aboutthe new arrangement; this allowed mother and daughterto fee1 more secure about their bimes apart. Onesingle,fother advises other divorced parents to agree(n) a baste behaviorcode and rules of supervision, sothat their children do not get confused about theirlimits or what.they can get away with in other homes.A working couple who. could afford to hire an adultsupervisor for their junior high children learned towork out consistent rules and expectations with thesitter. Before, parents and sitter often contradictedeach other and worked ift cross-purposes.

Effeetive poronting reqnires time, attention, andenergyrequirements that- are often difficult forsingle or working parents to meet. Parents who cannot

be at home enough should honestly recognize that theirchildren are especially vulnerable to unhealthy peerpressure, especially during the pivotal period of earlyadolescence. WorXing parents should arrange adultsupervision and companionship for their children.

it you use legal or illegal drugs,think about possible effectson your-children

Althbugh recent studies suggest that peers have thegreatest influence on a child's initial decision'to usemarijuana, parents need to examine their own pattern ofdrug use in terms of its effect on their children(Kandel 078).

Despite many studies on how parents should deal withalcohol On the home, there is still no consensus on thebost course ot action. However, most alcohol-abuseprofessionals advise parents to Practice moderation andto model responsible behavior. They advise establishinga rule of,no drinking by younger teenagers and exercis-ing discr6tion in allowing older teenagers to occasion-ally cjri,nl a little at home. They suggebt establishingfirm rules against regular drinking or drunkenness,-driving while drinking, and riding with drinking driversFurthermore, parents should never allow an Otoxicatedyotitigster to'drive home;' they should provide transporta-tion, or put him/her up for the night.

Parents who use legal psychoactive or mood-alte0.ngdrugs (such as sedatives, depressants, stimulants, orsleepinci pills) should examihe honestly their reasonsfor doing so. In consultation with their spouse, adultfriends, and physiciang,. they should decide whetherthey can do without these 'Prescription drugs; if theycannot, they should be extreffielyecautious not to abusemedical permission to use them. Parents also should.tell their children why they.use the drug, that it is alegalgy controlled substance, that it should never bbmixed with-other drugs or alcohol, and that it shouldnever be used "for fun."' It is medicine, not a "recrea-tional drug."

Parants who choose to use- illegal drugs can.pose many-disturbing questions for their children.

The fact that mariluana is .illegal.can be very confusingfor children of parents w44 smoke it. Many pot-smokingparents report that. their 12- or -13-year-olds aredisturbed, bewildered; or even embarrassed by their

71

parents' willingness,tv .break the law. These parentsalso neell to consideNthe potentially serious legal.consequences of their actions. What will be the effecton their children it they are arrested? Furthermore,drug-using paruntsaleed to make sure that their children'underst.and the:negative -effects of these drugs ongrowing ehildr.A. ThM, also should take care-to keeptheir drug supply in a place inaccessible to their child.Such parents need to be aware 'that their child may bepressured by their peers to procure drug$ Erom home, ifthe parents' use becomes known.

Finally, parents who chodse to use illegal drugs mightwish to reevaluate this i)eha0or. To abslAtin fromusing illegal drugs may not, in itself, prevent yourchild OcoM using drugs, but it will givc. you morer-edibility when you try to prevent or intervene in

your ehild's drug use. If you still choose to use'-illegal drugs, 'recognize that this makes your childespecially vulnerable., and go the extra mile to preventor curtail his/her use. Even more'than nonusing parents,you will need the support of other parents.to maintaina nondruq-using peer group for your child. Studiesconsistently .show that the child most likely to us(; andabuse drugs has drug-u$ing .parents and drug-usingfriends.

72

.7

4

5. how ',invents can workwith the school and thecommunity to creafe.ahealthier, nondrug-orientedenvironment for youngsters

ME.

use ^of parent-teacher Organizations

The local parent-teacrier organ iza t i in of ten receivesenthusiast lc slipport 1 rom parents when 1 t,f,i r childrenare. in the lower pr iiini ry gr ades, but I rum about s ixthgrade ,\parental invOlvement steadi 1 y decreases. Parentsof ten cite the superf ic i al ity and chi I dishness ofparen,t-schOol 'meetings, which seem irre I -yard-, 'to the-problems of raising older children PT/ and school'of ficia4s, on the other hand, point to. t he 11 nw illi ngnessof, 4uirents of' adolescents to contribut e r ti- I r t brie andof farts .to revitalizing the PTA in j.kiii tor nice) and, highsehools. Parent-teacher organizat ions are st ILI the-Most accesSible and ef fectiVe . medium of commun 17.7at ionand cooperat ion between parents, educatory., and thelarger coinmuni Cy. Thus, adults concerned about Hiedrug , alcohol , and del inquency -pr'phl ems of local youn_step.; .should make ,speci al ef forts to develop their .,parent-school associat bin into an act ive force tocombat unhealtily, adolescent behavior.t 4

Plrents, work i n'with the PTA'. school ig I lc i als, ..

van help devel.(4) drug prevent i n programn I(..parent wrild 't (achers that. wi ll sy plement t- Itr7rjruy-prpvenrion programs tor.--.ch i Ldrj.i sdme chCdls ,. 4.; havd successful ly held driig 0-41u at ion programs at-

., which-pathrits and ch i Wen ,I7 i Olt meet-. in di ff,t ent. rooms, and win together in a discussion session

It ts tmpOrt ant that perent s learn as much about

'opportuni ty to talk t Op ther eyrie ty asvt

drugs as (. i r chi Wren are learning, hut i t i si also impoetank that .paront n and teaolors h,i Jo t to!

10 )' '' lb"., .

ft

about. t he problems, s t rat i t5 and responstes involved in react ing to youthful drug

use.

Many parent s *have Cound that an exh ibt or drugpa raphe rna l id and drug-advocacy ii t C <I titre a hued,aft k ds helps t. defuse 1105 It lit y and overcome thedenials t hat accompahy parent-eh ibi di scuss ions ofch i dren' s drug usage. The concrete ob jects make

(0'e tearer p*kents that they are deal ing wi th a .real s itucit irfn and that the ir ch ildren of ten f indt he drug scene and its pa rapht'mnal ia t tract iveand run. However, many par'ents and educators warnthat !drug i.ir1ihiern.i1 i a--espec i ally the cleverlydok; ig ned comme rc Litt i zed product s--should not beshown to youngst Most ch i Id re n will seeon, nigh d..rug pa raphernal ii on t he r own, and anexh ibit ion or "dope toys" sponsored by adul ts mayback I i re by st irnitia t I nij ch ildren's interest incontinue re ial drug po rapherna Ii a .

.' Parent s can organize zind part ic pate in a co mi [teeat t he school to study and evaluate current iutht rends-- 1 ncluding drugs, dri:nkt,i rig , sexual beh- vior,

i uquency, popu lay I ads, musi el. etc. Thec(mmi r tee may Want to keep up wi th current scitm-,t it ic resear ch and i nfo rmal ion in the popularmod a on i nf luences that can damage the .heal t hydOve I opine nt or local ch i hl ran., A 1 is I of communi tyresource 4people --speaVers, Zounselors, profess ienalagencies, mental !via I th centers; etc. --can boma i itt a i ned , and oval ui ted and upla ted each year.The PTA or school pr incipal may want t.o keep theseMat eriah-; on rile.

4 . A parent support cocriMi t tee, for the school can al sot ake much o t the ! pressure of f the schhol pr i ric ipd ,who cannot atter shoul d not be i+xpeoted to sol ve thefant4ly anq commun drug abuse problem. Work I mitwith t he 'pr tri.il , comfit'. t.toe may (let mo andpuh 1 i fai i 1 y --.51choo I .agreement o'n 'how to (tea 1

h pwrhfu,l, drug, al c( 0101 , and tobacco ope, Byci ye, art i curl at i nCJ a pl an for hortio-sehool

coop., rat i hn, parent' support commi t. tee can helpt o cl.irI fy where the pr I nc i pa I H reporiIb 1 itybeg i tt-i and 1,, nds a'rid .whf? the pa rf,,rit. responsty must take over.

in h i 910,y et tor( i ve p..i nutt-uchwul prof; t am' Iii?ei iii- in uff 41So , I t he parent support commi t t el?

,

append x ton '11 i p t on of t he Not tits i H igh;who'd po rout ...;',111ho I LH

/4C.? I

1

u rged al I 1) r t!'13 t. 0 Wed C 0111U ritorma t ion, guest ions,concern, od- even suspicion about their children whenthe issue is-raised by teacher'4J auJI/or school officials.The parents were advised nut to read,the communicationas.an accusation. The principal or teacher who caresenough to stick his/her neck Mit to alert parents tothe possible drug pr.obl'em ot thir chtld should not gethis/i4er head bitten off-by .offended parents!

Because A young person's involvement 'with illegaldrugs may !iumetimes lead to legal complications orpsychological and social problems beyond thecapacity of the parents to solve "alone, tioi parent-school committee may need also.to explore the role'of the liwal police, juvenile justice, and mentalhealth systems- in dealing with adolescent druguse. Dr. John hanger, head of Cho Broventipn Unitof the Driig Enforcement. Administration, 77iisesseveral points that may he important to effectivecooperation among parents, schools, and the police:

a) A formal Policy for handling drugs anddrAq abusers is needed forthe protec-tion of students, teachers, administra-tors, and the community.

A

b

i) The rights or students who do notabuse drugs, must be protecte(1---they should not have to be exposedto the possibility of inadvertentlybeing involved in illegal activity.

ii) The rights of administrators andteachers must ho protected as theyperform their dutios--they mustnot be expe('ted*to perform thedut,ies of police.

iii) The rights of students suspect(of drug ahuse must be proCecto(and the actual,drug abuser musthelped as_well as prevented from'committinq illegal acts.

iv) The policy ,established by thef;chool Board !of( individual schwa

yTA1 most distinguish betweennaiVe drug expoOmerifer and l

-the seller of drugs, with iM ffetentand appropriate measures specifiedfor dealing with each.

There a numhei of fo4ois involvedin deiiiii ping a cooperative poltcy that

LotIt)

"ft

inclndes the participation of atjenciesoutside the

i) Actudl.datti on the extent of drugabuse in the community are essen-tial, with information on types Of(1rugs, sources, and present preven-tive measures being taken.

Li) The views of the community on the(Irug issue must be igentified--level of concern, present attitudes,fears, unwillingness to face theissue, unrealistic expectationsfor pol icele and school action.

jii) An evaluation survey ofrexistingcounseling, treatment, education,and rehabilitation programs avail-J.able is needed to determine whatis being done and how effectively.

iv) The, OLhool program must be evalu-ated--teacher training, studentattitudes, materials, involvementof outside personnel, _counselingand guidance, and emergency meas-,ures.

(hanger 1976, p. 199)

Langer further advises actively solicitinq cOopera-tion and support from religious, fraternal, andother community organizations whose membershipinctudes parents of school-age children. Theobjective of linking these variond'groups togetheris to help the parents help the child.

work with parents, pta, and:4 other community leaders

.

Jiased mi the ,types ,of drpys involved, different

approaches may be effective. If drinking seems to bv aproblem among local youngsters, parents should try tofind out whore the kids aro getting the alcoNol. If

supOlies are coming from private homes, the parentsinvolved can the informed and asked to develop tightercontrol over their supplies. If rnipp 1 i em come f Tom

commercial outlets, parents can urge store manarrA and

,clerics t u cho(* I Ds mot o,--..care t u 1 ly and not t ,) ra Inv,

(Hwy., of kids to loiter in their parking lot ri, Themp) r , ()111- i.f.,; ()I ,I I cull) tor ch i i cirfifi and uyongert elinage ri, however,. aro mor teenagers who can often

76

)

buy alcohol legally. Dr..R. S. Ryback points out thatthe recent lowering of the legal drinking age to 18 inI

nm States has contributed to earlier adolescentdr king:

It is likely that part of the political forcebehind this change was the opinion that thevoting, draft, and arinking age should be thesame. The reduced drinking age may also havebeen precipitated by political and social

' feelings about the Vietnam War. However, thelegislators did not seriously consider theimplications of age-groUp loyalties. Simplystated, an 18 year old hdgh-school seniorwill readily buy alcoholic beverages for.his14,year-old freshman friend or teammate.

(Ryback 1975)

When paients find out which o ler teenagers are supply-*ing younger ones, they should co for with the youthsand their parents. A well-pu 1iized "fair warning"sy§tem goes d long way toward diminishing the practiceof supplying alcohol to minors. In some icommunities,underage drinking causes so many problems that effortsaro underway to raise the legal drinking age to 19, inorder to eliminate the widespread practice of highschool seniors legallY buying alcohol for younger highschool students.

If drug use is a problem among locallyoungsters, groups-of parents can organize a communitywide effort to alert

Ilkother parents, to diminish drug supplies, and to prevent'commercial giamorization of illegal drug use. The auraof respectability and normality created for illegal druguse by the open display and sale of head shop parapher-nalia and magazines worry many adults who aro concernedabout maintaining a healthy community environment foryoung people. Furthermoro, the sile of drug parapher-nalia is- directly dependent on the availability ofdrugs. In Atlanta, an -employee of a drug paraphernali'awarehouse poines out that the ordors they -receive fromretail outlets around thef city reveal what drugs aro inthe area: "A. couple of months ago, when there was alot of cocaine floating around town, orders for cokeparaphernalia from retail store's doubled."

Communities do not have tdsit back and accept thecommercialized glamorization of illegal drug use.There aro many logal and ethic41 mothods that can beused to prevent the advertising or male of much productsin a neighborhood. Many local merchants do not ovenrealize what the paraphernalia is used for or what thp

colossyhead magazines advocate. They receive the

drug-related material i fl wifh straight materials,usually from a chain of distributors. Thlin, a Courteous

conversation between 4 concerned parent and a-storemanageror even-a company president--otten results inthe rapid removal of the drug-advOcacy materials fromtt;t7! shelves. A letter or a delegation trom a local PTAmay have even more intluence.

In many parts of the country, ordinary citizens arelearning that they can effectively diminish the inroadsof the drug culture into their communities. In DeKalbCounty, Georgia,.-a small group ot parents became dis-turbed at the attractive display ot drug paraphernaliain a fancy new record store that opened in the local.shopping center. One mother representing an elementaryschool PTA told the manager that parents would not findthe "head shop" so dangerous if it were not locatedinside the record store: "It is very bright,"Clean,-and attractive, and because of that, it will have thekids flocking to it." The parents organized a largerprotest group'and called upon tlieir elected officialsto help then. The continuing efforts of "DeKalb Pami-liol% in Action" have led to statewide legislativeregulation (a paraphernalia sales to minors and tobroader community efforts in drug prevention. Similarinitiatives undertaken by the Town Council of Windsor,Connecticut, and by the "Naples Informed Parents" ofCollier county, Florida, have led.to tighter restrictionson selling'smoking paraphernalia for tobacco as well asmarijuana to juveniles.

Although head shop owners may argue that dope is bigbusiness and that drug paraphernalia is sold all overthe country, no neighborhood or community has to acceptthis. "everybody is doing it" argument. Individualparents and ordinary citizens are not helpless; no onehas to ccept the presence of drugs in the\ir neighbor-

. hood or community. Organizations uf concorrwd parentsstill have morf-e muscle and more resources than anyother group in most local situatiopio; they should nothesitate to use that muscle. .If enough neighborhood'sand communities fight back--io:ing ethical and legalmeans to combat unethical merchandikers of W0(01drugsthen Ghe drug culture will lose a great deal ofits influence.

A let ter to the edi t_or or a phone cal I to a TV stationilian,iger can ciake -a 'surpr i si ng di flereric&. I f I oca I

media coverage of Ihe drug and drinking'seene seemsbiased, ill-informed, or misleading, complain to thestation executive ,P; to the on-lhe-scene reporter. If

the media spokesperson 10; 11/1,114,11-c, of proteen and teenagedrug and drinking problems, try ti) inform him/her ofthe current situation and try to enlist\ media supportfor Informotron programs and prevention efforts. It

tIwy wtk r qual time for informed andeactual rebuttal. Some oommunity-action groups have

formed committees of 'physicians and psychiatristsfamiliar with adolescent drug abuse probleMs to counter

'the increasingly prodruq messages in the media. Makeevery ettort to keep your parent organizattal nonparti-7san, honsectarian, and nonpuritanical; focus your ,

message on ,the healthy development of children andadolescents through the maintenance 'of a .nondrug-oriented cOmmunity env,ironment.

4211010.42vi.474,40,41424

Parents, remember, it is better to occasionally feellike the 'local crank than to often feel' helpLess--especially when the welfare of your children is atstake'. You can make a difference. And if,.you datri't,who else will?

$11

:%",

0

REFERENCES,

Abolspn, H.I.; Fishburne, P.M. and Cisin, I.H. NationalSurvey_ on Drug Abuse: 1977.A Nationwide Study7.7YouthL_Young Adults and Older Adults. Vol. I:

.Main 'Washington, D.C.: Superintendentof Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,1977.

Abruzzi, W. Drug-induced psychosis. InternationalJournal of the Addictions, 121:183-193, 1977.

American Medical Association. Marihuana-72. In:AMerican Medical'Association. Proceedings of theHouse of Delelates. Chicago: the Association.:Adopted by the House of Velegates, June 20, 1972.

AmOrivan Medical Association Council on 1ScienificAffairs. Health aspects of marihuana use. In:American Medical Association. Proceedings of theHouse of Delegates. Chicago: the Association.Adopted by the House of Delegates, Dec. 6, 1977.

Atlanta Journal. Disco.. 'Atlanta Journal, Aug. 28,1918.

Bauman, J. "Marijua Use in $0olesconce: A Word ofCaution. Unpub ished, 1978. Supplemented bypersonal interview on Nov. 22, 1978.

Bauman, J.; J<olodny, R.; -Dornbush, R.; and Webster, S."Endocrine EffectS on Human Female Chronic Mari-huana Use." Paper presented at Mexico City Interna-:tional Symposium on Marijuana: Recent Advances,Aug. 28-304 1978.

7Baxter, T. Head*shOps ignite drug fight. AtlantaJournal, Jan. 24, 1978. p. 1.

Bejerat, N,; Powelson, H.; Jones, H.; Schwarz, C.; andZeidenberg, P. Testimony at hearings 'before theSubcommittee to Trivw;tigato the Administration ofthe Internal Security Act and Other InternalSecurity Laws of the Committee on the Judièiary.In: U.S. Congress, 93d Cong., 2d sess. Marihuana.-HashishylEitamic ajla tt.s jmpact on United StatesSecurity. 4111. 1. Washington,.D.C.: Superin-tendent of Documents, U.S. 'Government, PrintingOfficy

11974.

81

Sip )

o'

.5

Bird, J., and Bird, E. Power to the Parents: A CommonSense Psychology of _Child Rais-i..ng for.the Se4enties.Gatlion City, NY: Doubleday, 1974.

M.J. Adolescence--When isn't it "iust aphase?" Journal of American Medical Socty,237:2232-2233, 1977.

Braude, M.C., and Szara,.S.,.eds. The Pharmacolouy otMarihuana. New York: Raven Press,- 1976.

Bronfenbenner, U. Nobody home: The erosion of theAmerican family. Psychology Today, 10(12):40-47,1977.

California State Oftice of Narcotics and Drug Abusq;..First_Report of _California's New Marihnana,Law(SB95). Sacramento, Calif.: Health and WelfareAgency, Jan. 1977.

Campbell, L. The amotivational syndrome and cannabisuse with emphasis on the Canadian scene. Annaks.of the New York Academy of Sciences, 282:33-36,1976.

Cohen, S. 'The 94-day cannabis study. Annals of the NewYork Academy of Sciences, 282:217-218, 1976.

De Silva, R. The young American and the flight towarddrugs. Washington yost, July 3, 1977.

Doorentms, N. Personal communication, March 10, 1979.

DuPont, RA: Quoted in: U.S. Congress. Marihuana-.pashish_ EpideMic and Its Impact on United StatesSecurity. Vol. 2. Washington, Superin-tendent of Documemts, U-S. Government Printing .

Office, 1975.

DuPont, R.I.. National drug Abuse data base. Annals ofthe New York Academy of Sciences, 281:317, 1976.

Encyclopaedia Firittanica Educational Corporation.Youth Poll. Chicago: the Corporation, 1977.

Grariam, JM.P., pd. Cannabis and Health. New York:Academic Pre:1s, 1976'.

Harmon, A., and Aliapoulious, Gyneoomastia inmar:,Jhuana users. New England _Journal of Medicine,281:936, 1972.

Harmon, J., and AliapOtili,.)01s, M.A. Marihuana-inducedgynecomastia. .Surgieal rorum, 25:423, 1974.

Harper, J.W.; Heath, R.; and Myers, W.A. Effects ofcannabis sativa on ultrastructure of the synapseof monkey-brain. Journal of Neuroscience Research,3:183-193, 1977.

Hawley, R. Some Unsettling Thoughts on Settling inwith pot. Chagrin Falls, Ohio: University School-Press, 1978.

sHenderson, I. Pcit is "trendy" but dangerous. The

Journal (AddiCtion Research Foundation), Oct.1977.

Henderson, R.L.; Tennant, F.S.; and Guerney, R. Res-piratory manifestations of hashish smoking.Archives of Otoi%.ryngology, 95:248-251, 1972..

High_Times. Letter to the editor from patient withMarihuana-induced gynecomastia. High Times, May1976.

Johnston, L. Children in test buy drug trappingsfreely at head shops New York Times, 11,1:3,March 30, 1978.

Johnston, L.D.; Bachman, G.G.; and O'Malley, P.M.prug Ose 'Among American Hip_School Studentst19_75777. Rockville, Md.: National Institute on'Drug Abuse, 1977.

Jones, G. Amer,:ica's youth: Angry ... bored .;. or justconfused? U.S. News apd World Report, July 18,197W. pp. 18-20.

The Jpirnal.- Dangers of combined marijuana-alcohol useby teenagers. The_Journal (Addictiop ResearchFoundation), 6(2), 1977.

Kandel, D. Interpersonal influences on adolescentillegal drug use. In: Josephson, E., ed. DrugUse: Epidemiological and Sociological Approaches.Washington, D.C.: Halsted-Wiley, 1974. pp. 207-238.

Kandel, D.B., ed. Longrtudi_nal, Research on Drug Use:ympirica,1 indings and Methodological 'Issues.Washington, D.C.: Hemisphere (Halsted-Wiley),1978.

Kolansky, H., and Moore, W.T. Clinical effects ofmarihuana on the young. Internat*onal Journal'Psychiatry, 10:55-67, June 1972.

Q )

Kolodny, R.C.; Lessin P.; Toro, G.; Masters, W.11.) and

1Cohen, S. Depres ion of plasma testosterone withacute marihuana a ministration. In: Braude, M.C.,and Szara, S., eds.. The Pharmacology of Marihuana.New York: Raven Press-,--1.---pP.'17-229.

Langer, J. Drug entrepreneurs and dealing culture.Social .ProbiT, 24:371-386, Feb. 1977.

Langer, J.H.. Gui\ dAines for!,ftchool-police cooperationin drug abuse policvdevelopment. Journal of School

t

Heait.h, April 1976. pp. 197799. .

Lieb, J., and Olsen, S. Prestige, paranoia, and profit:On becomingu dealer of lllicit drugs int,n univer-sity community. Journal_otprug.lssues, 8(4):356.-377, 1976.

Malcolm, A. The amotivational syndromeAn appraisal.Addictions, 23.:28-49, 1916.

4McElroy, T. The policewoman. Atlanta Constitution,

Sept. 20, 1977.

Mann, P. The CdSO against marijuana smoking. TheWashington Post:, July,39, 19q8. p. 81._ _

Nahas, G.G., !-Iliciu-Focas, N.; Armand, 1; Morishima, A.Inhibition ef cellular mediated im;Itaility in mari-huana smokers. Science, 183:419-.-4.20, 1974.

Nahas, G.G., .ed. Marihuana: Chemistry, Biochemistry,and Cellular Effect,s.- 41ew.Y-ork: -f;pringer-Veriag,1976.

Nahas, G.G., and Paton, W.D.M., eds. Marijuana: Bio-logical Effec.7.ts--Analysis, Metabolism-, CeliularResponses, Reproducion,13,ra4, New York: PergamonPress, in press.

'National Institute on Drug Abuse. Altornativqs. DREWPublication ivo. (ADM) 77-388. Rockville, Md.:the In5titute,'1917%

New York State Divi!Iiun of Substance Abuse Services.Substance Abuse Among New York State Publit! andParochial School Students in (Wades 7 Throuqh 12.Albany, N.Y.: the Division, Nov. 1978.t

84

0)

Paton, W. Testimony dt hearings before the Subcommitteeto Investigate the Administration of the InternalSecurity Act and Other Internal Security Laws ofthe Committee on the Judiciary. In: U. . Congress.Mdrihuana-Hashish Epidemic and Its-.Impa-6t on UnitedStates Security. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.:Superintendent of Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, 1974. p.

Petersen, R.C. On the imvpritance of iphalation patternsin determining the-offeCts of marihuana use.The Lancet, in press.(1979).

Petersen, R.C., ed, Marihuana and Health, 1977.Seventh Annual Report to the U.S. Congress fromthe Secretary of HEW (1979). Rockville, Md.:National Institute on Drug Ablie, 1979.

Pharm Chem Newsletter. Street drug analysis and drugus trends, 1969-1975. The Pharm Chem Newsletter,6(4 :1-2, 1977.

Po/lin, W. "Health Consequences of Marijuana Use."Testimony before the House Select Committee onNarcotics Abuse and Control, 96th Cong-., 1stsession, July 1979.

Reeves, A.S. Values chan0ing, says retiring principalat Turner. Atlahta Constitution, June 24, 1977.

Rigert, J., and Shellum, B. Marijuana high: Teenagersoften pay a high price. Minneapolis Tribune, July20, 1977a.

Rigert, J., and Shellum, B. Doubts groWing aboutmarihuana's safv.p. Minneapolis Tribune, July 27,1977b.

.Rosenkrant, H., aind'Fleischman, R.W. Effects ofcannabis on i_he lungs. In: '4ahas, G.d., andPaton, W.D.Oh, eds. Marijuana: Biological Effects--Analy.js, MetabOlksm Cellular Responses, Rpproduc-tion, Brain. New -.Ybrk: Pergamon Press, in ipress.

Rosenthal, M., and Mothner, I. Druas, ParentsL and. Children: The Three-Way.connection. Boston,

MaSs.f Boughton-iftfrin, 1912.

Russell, M.A.H. gmoking problems: An overview.* In:Jarvik, M.E.; Cullen, J.W,; Gritz, E.R.; Vogt,T.M.; sand West, eds. Research on 8mok1n2pehayior. Research Monograph Series 17. DREWFubItcation No. (ADM) 78-581. Rockville, Md.:NatiOhal Institute on Drug Abuse, 1977..

Ryback, R.S. Teenage alcoholism, medicine, and thelaw. New _Enaland Journal of Medicine, 293;719-720,Oct. 1975.

Ryback, R. Letter to the editor. Teen-age alcohplism, and drug abuse.

, New _England Journal of Medicine,Jan. 1, 1976:41 p. 56.

San Mateo County. "Summary Report: Surveys of StudentDrug Use." Mimeo, 1976. Available from San Mateo,225 37th Ave., San Mateo, CaliX. 94403.

Sassenrath, E.; Chapman, L.1.; and Goo, G.P. Reproduc-tion in rhesus monkeys chronically expOsed t6 -

de1ta,-9-T1IC. In: Nahas, G.G., and Paton, W.D.M.,eds. Mariivana: Biological EffectsAnalysis,Metabolism Cellular Responses, Reproduction, Brain.New York: Pergamon Pre4s in press.

Science. Marihuana: A conversation with NIDA's RobertL. DuPont. Science, 192(4240):647-649, 1976.

Smith..i.,&.G.; Smith, M.T.; Besch, N..F.; Smith, R.G.; andR.H..°sEffects of delta-9-THCon female

reproductiv.function. In: Nahas, G.G1rndW.D.M., eds. Marijuana: Biologi 1 Effects--

Analysis, Metiabolism Collular Responses,_Reproduc-tion, Srai:n. New York: Pergamon Press, in press.

Smith, G.M., and Fogg, C.P. Psychological predictorsof eary.use, late use, and ndnuse of marihbanaamoni.teenage students. In: Kandel, D.B., ed.Longitudinal Research on Drug Use: RmpiriCal Fin&-inaS.and MethodologicalIssues. Washkgton, D.C.:,HemisiThere (Salsted.-Wiley), 1978. r

A

Social Advocate5 for Nuth. Survey. Cited in: NIAAAdirector testifies: Youthful drinking "devastating."U.S. Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, May1977.

Spock, R. Raising Children in a Difficult Time: A Phi-7,losophy of Parenbal Leadership and-ffigh Ideals.New York: W.W. Norton, 1974.

Tashktn, D. Respiratory,status of 75 chronic marijuanasmokers. .American Review of Respiratory, Disease,117:261, April 1978.

Thorpe, G. At home' in Dixie. Atlanta Constitution,Sept:. 15, 1977.

.Turner, C. "Marihuana Research 1979." Paper presentbda1 the.Southeast Drug Conference, Georgia StateUniversity, March 8, 1979.

1

) 06'

A

U.S. Congress. Marihuand-Hashish Epidemic and Its Impacton United States Securitx. Hearings beforo theSdhcommittee to Investigate the Administration ofthe Internal SecUrity Act and Other interhalSecurity Laws of the Committee 'on the Judiciary.Vols. 1 and 2. Washington, D.C.: Superintendentof Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,1,974-1975.

Deparbeent of Health, Education, and.Welfare.Third 1.?:pecial Report to U.S., Congress pri Alcoholand Health. Washington, D.C.,: superinEend6nt ofDocumentS, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978.

U..S. News and World peport: Alcohol an marijuana:Spreading menacb among teenagers. U.S. _News_andWorld Report, Nov. 24, 1975.

U.S. News and Woild Report. Is U.S. becoming a drug-,

ridden society? (Interview with R.L. DuPont.)U.S. News and World Report, Aug. 7, 1978.

yilliams, ,T.M. summary and:lmplications of Review ofLiterature Related to Adolescent Smoking. Washing-,

. .

ton, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education,';.and Welfare, 1971.

Wolin, J. Getting high: Officials say Ualf ()coward'syoung athletes sthoke marijuana. Suhs-Sentinel andFort Lauderdale News, May 9, 1976.

Yankelovich, Skelly, and White, Ine, Raisigg Childrenin a_Chanuing.Society. Minneapolis, Minn.: GeneralMills American Family Report; 1976-77. p. 92.

)

q

c'

r'

ELECTED DIBLIOGIRAPHY

S STEINEAbINGS FOR PARENTS:

Bird, J., and Bird, L. Power to the Parents.: A Common, Se se.Psychology of Child Raising_for the Sementies.

Gar.1en City, N.Y.: DoubledayImage Books, 1974.

. Hawley, R. Some Unsettling Thoughts on Seftling in withPot. Chagrin Falls, Ohio: University School

* Press, Sept. 1978. 'Condensed in Educational Digest,March 1979.

Nahasv G.G. Keep Off the Grass; A Scientist's DocumentedAccount of Marijuaha's DestructLve Effects. NewYork: Pergamon press, 1979.

Nahas, G.G.,'and Paton, W.D.M.,(eds. Marihuana: Bioloq-. ical Effects Analysis Metabolism, Cellular

Response,_ Reproduction, Brain. New York: PergamonPress, 1979.

Petersen, R.C., ea. Marihuana and Healthc 1977.,,Seventh Annual Report tO tye U.S. Congress fromthe Secretary of"HtW. Ro ville, Md.: NationalInstitute on Drug Abuse, 19719.

Rusenthill, M.and Mothner, L Drugs, Parental andChIldren: The Three-Way Connection. Boston:Houghton Mrfflin, 1972. (Should-be ordered fromPhoenix HaNse, 164 West 74th St., NeW York, N.y.10023.)

1111,

Russell, G.K. Marihuana Today: A Compilation of MedicalFindingS for the Layman. 3rd revised edftion.New.York: Myrin Institute for Adult Education,1978. -

U.S. Qpngress. Marihuana-Hashish Epidemic and Its Impacton Unitea States Security. Hearings before theSUICommatee to Invesilgate the Administration ofthe Internal Security Act and Other InternalSecumity Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary.Vols. 1 and Z. Washington, D.C. Superintendent'of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,19W4-1975,

09

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES EIN POPULARMAGAZINES AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS:

Alcohol Health_and Research World. The drinking chronicle' o( a-Teenager. Alcohol Health and Rgsearch World, .

Summer 1975. p. 5.

Baker, N.C. Tough Jove: New° way to help teens introuble. Parents' Magazine, 'July 1977. p. 43.

Brovwell, S. How I got my daughter to stop smokingpot. Good Houaekeaping, March 1979. pp. 112-120.

Gulino, S.J. Marijuana update. Parental- Magazine, May1978. p. 50.

Jones, H.T. What the practicing physician should knowabout marihuana. Private Practice, Jan. 1976.pp. 35-40.

Klidge, V., and Vaziri, H. Characteristics of drug.abpsers in an.adolelicent in-patiene4psychiatricfaility. Diseases '6f the Nervous System, 38:275-279, iNpril 1977.

Kolansky, H.D., and Moore, W.T. Effects of marihuana:on adolescents and young adults. Journal of theidder_ican Medical Association, 216:486-492, 1971.'

Mae, I.D. Problem children. Journal of the AmericanMedical Association' 241 167-168, Jan. 1979._ _ _ _ _ _

Mann, P. The case against mar uana smoking. Washing-ton Post, July 30, 1978,',

.p

Mary P. The,case against marihuanh. Family Circle,Feb. 20, 1979.

. .

. Mann, P. Marihuana and driving: The sob g trah.Readers' Digest, May 1979.

- ...Patient Care. Time to change attitudes on arihuana?Patient Care, April 30, 1978. pp. 182-210.

ti) Rubinow, D.R.\, and Cahcro, R. The bad, trip: An epidemi-olo ical survey tit. youthful hallucinogen use.

i'

. Jou nal of Youth. and Adoleacence, 6:1-9, March197 .

Science. Marihunna: A conversation with NIDA's RobertL. DuPont. Science, 1926467-649, May 1976, A

14.

#

1

-4

6

/0/1 N ws and World Report. Is U.S. becoming a drug-', * idden society? (Inerview with Robert L. DuPont,

former director/ National Institute on Drug Abuse.).U.S. News And World Report, Aug. 7, 1978. .pp..30-31.

-hizimerman, A. If parents &illy kne Th Washingtonian,June 1978. pp. 02-107.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SCIENTIFICVOLUMES, WHICH INCLUDE EXTENSIVE REFERENCES:

American Medical Association Council on ScientificAffairs. nealth'Aspects of Marihuana 'Use. Chicago:the Association, 1977.

Braude, M.C., and Vesell, E.S., eds. Interaction ofdrugs of abuse. Annals of .the New York AcademyofScie _s, vol. 281, 1976.

-Braude, M C., and Szara, S., eda. Pharmacolo9y of Mari-huan . Vols. 1 and 2. \National,Institute,on DrugAbuse, New York: Raven Press, 1976.

Brehan, M.L., and Sharp, W.S., eds. Review of Inhalants:Euphoria to Dysfunction. NIDA Research .MonographNo. 15. Washington, D.C.: Superintendent of Docu-ments, U.S. Government Printing Offtice, 1978.

Dornbush, R.L.; Freedman, A.M.; and Fink, M., eds.Chronic cannabis use. Annals of the New YorkAcademy of Sciences, vol. 282, 1976. .

Ellinwood,iE.H.-, and Kilbey, M.M., eds. Cocaine andOther Stimulants. New York: Plenum Press, 1977.

1

;

,Graham, a.n.P., ed. Cannabis and Health. New York,:,Academic Press, 1976.

0

Johnston, L.D.: Bachman, J.G.; and O'Malley, P.M.Drug use Among American Hilh School Students,1975-17. Plus annual update. RockVille, Md.:NaEional Institute on Drug Abuse, 1977.

4bnes, H.T., and JoneS, M. Sensual Dru9s: Deprivationand Rehabilitation of the.mfiid. Cambridge,'Mass.:Cambr-idge University Press, 1477.

Kandel, D.B., ed.' Lonyitudinal ReseIrch on Drug Use:Empirical Findings and Methodo-logical Issues.Washington, D.C.: Homisphere (Halstead-Wiley), 1978.Reviewed In: O'Donnell, J.A. Variables affectingdrug use. Science, ?031739-740, Feb/ 1079.

91

Nahas, G.G., ed. Marihuana: ChemIslry Biochemistry,and Cellular Effects. New Yoik: Springer-Verlag,1976.

Notional Institute on Duo Abuse. Drug Use in Industry.DHEW 'Publication No.-(ADM) 79-811. Wa-Shington,D.C.: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gov,ernmeritPrinting Office, 1979.

Petersen, R.C., ed. Marihuana Research Findings 1976.NIDA Research Monograph No. 14. Washington, D.C.:Supe4ntendent of Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, 1977.'

iPetersen, R.C., and Stirlman, R:C., eds. Cocaine: 1977.NIDA Research Monograph No. 11. Washington, D.C.'Superintendent of Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, 1978.

Peterson, R.C., and.atillman, R.C., eds. Phencyclidine(PCP) Abuse: An Appraisal. NIDA Research MonographNo. 21. Washington, D.C.: Superintendent of

' Documents', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978.

Stefanis, C.; Dornbush, R.; Fink, M., eds. Hashish:Studieg of Long-Term Use. New York: Raven Press,1977.

reinklenberq, J.R., ed. Marihuana and Health Hazards.New York: Aca'demic Press, 1975.

Turner, C., and Waller, C., eds. Marihuana: An AnnotatedBibliography. New York: Macmillan, 1976.

Willette, R.E., ed. Drugs and Driving. NIDA ResearchMonograph No. 17. Washington, D.C.: Superintendentof Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,1978.

ADDITIONAL READING M ERIALS ANDREPRINTS MAY BE ORDERED PROM:

American Council orl mijpatla and Other PsychoactiveDrugs, 521 Park Aventie, New York,'N.Y. 10021.

Citizens for, InforMed Choces on Marijuana, Inc.; 300Broad Street, Stamford, Conn. 06901.

Families 'Anonymous, Box 344, Torrance, Calif. 90501.

National Clearinghouse forAlcohol Informatiov, 5600Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md: 20857:

,

National Clearinghouse fior Drug Abuse Information, 5600Fisherh Lane, Rockville, Md. 20857,

National Clearinghodse for Mental Health,Information,5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 20857.

Parents' Resource Institute for Drug EduCatiod (PRIDE),Georgia State University, Atlanta, Ga. 30303.

Phoenix House, Director of Information Services, 164D

West 74th Street, New York, N.Y. 10023.

Pyramid, 39 Quail Court:Suite 201, Walnut Creek,',Calif. 94596. (A project of the Prevention Branch,Division of Resource Development, National Instituteon Drug Abuse.1

.SUGGESTED VIEWING:

Reading, Writing, and Reefer. NBC-TV documentary ofDec. 1978. NBC has made this film on adolescentmarijuana use available at no charge for copyingby nonprofit educational institutions. .To obtainoff-air taping permission, write to Films Incorpor-ated, 1144 Wilmette Avenue, Milmette, Ill. 60091;telephone (800) 323-4222. A four-page study guidefor teachers is available through local NBC--affiliated stations, NBC'iti New York, and FilmsIncorporAted.

1

93

r . p

appendix.*

Oe following program was developed by the parents andadminIstra6rs of Northside High School In Atlanta, GOgleIn 1978-79.

UNITED PARENTSNorthside High SChool Area

Atlanta, Georgia

Goal

To rid our hpmes and schools of-all illegal drugs andto encourage authorities to enforce laws to aid in thisendeavor.

To foster education and Cooperation among parents,teachers and'young people--in order,to help our youngpeople take responsibility for themselves and finishhigh school free of illegal drvgs.

'To encourage communicatlon lnd involvement by studentsand parents in the academic soCial, athletic and culturalactivities at Northside High Schooi,i, thereby 'achievinga healthy and satisfactory high school experience.

Obiective A

That there be instructiop on drugs and drinking amongdolescents at the August Work4hop for administratorsan& teachers at.Northside tor at least half a day.

Objective B t

That all meeotings and literiitne'and communication be..constructive and NON-BLAMINd 'qur parents, teachersand students. /.

Objective C-

That'we include .the larget community (Middle Schools,Private Schools, etc.) in our regular meetings, andthat we contact the media V:, tnformitheM of our endeavorsand solicit their help.

95

I I4.0

9

Objective D

,That we 'clevelop a structure tor on-going parint educationconcerning drugs and drinking,among ,ado1e6Clefits.

Objective E

That we encourage the development,of a school policy sothat parents will be called by .iany school person assoon.as any drug of alcohol is suspected, without fearor threat of legal suit. We encourage and will assista referral system to acceptable counselors and physi-cians.

Objective P

ThAt we ask the Juvenile Court to be involved tn ourmeetings, encotvaging them to use creative and effectivepunishment in aealing with offenderS1

Objective G

That We set up Parent-Teen Guidelines, to suggest rulesfor social gatherings, e,tc.

Objective H

That we plan and develop healthy social activities andencourage students and parents to participate in allkinds of school'-sponsored activities, such as: sports,band, drill team, drama, student activities. That weencourage the administration to sponsor more intramuralactivities.

PROPOSED PARENT:TEEN GUIDELINES

These guidelines concern the shared responsibilities.ofparents, high school, teenagers and teachers to eachother and to the community. They are presented becausethe Special Committee bélieves they will help to accom-plish our goal of a healthy lifestyle. The Committeeunderstands that,in some families the guidelines willbe too restrictive;.in others, too permissive. 'Never-theless, they suggest fair and reasonable standardswhich; it is hoped, will be adopted by concerned parents.,

r. School

Everyone needs to be aware bf, cooperate with, andsupport school regulations and rules as sqt forthin the NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL 'HANDBOOK (distributed'without charge to every student thks year), 'evenif they cause some,personal inconvenience. Parbnts

96

and students should pay particular attention topolicies concerning absences, tardiness, school-hour appointments, lunch-hour privileljes, deten-tion and homework.

IIA Social Lifp Outside of School

A. Curfews are necessary fOr safety and coopera-tion within each family and among families.The following are suggested:

School week:. home after supper, exceptfor specific event approved by parent.

Weekends: 9th grade--11:00 p.m.10th grade--11:30 p.m.llth grade--12 midnight12th grade--12:r a.m.

BolidAys and vacations: 10:30 p.m.,except weekends as above, with reasonableexceptions.

B. Patties should be chaperoned by adults whoare occasionally visible,i and alcohol anddru9s should not be available or served. In

4. addition,

small parties should be, encouraged;

anyone with alcohol or druqs should betold too leave the premises;

parents should feel free to contact hostparents and offer assistance;

parents should have the telephone numberand addfess of the party; and shouldexpert a call from their teenager incase of any location change.

C. Parent-teen cooperation is vital, keepingmind that paients oan be held liable to civiland criminal charges IA injury .to Minqrresults from underage alcohol consumption arillegal drug use on their premises; moreover,a car can be impounded if it is stopped forany reason and NYONE in the car ib in posses-

._ sion of illegal drugs. In additAn,

parents and teens should know where toreach each other by phone;

parents should be awake (or expect to keawakened) when a teenager comes in at

V-

Jrnight-- bis time is an opportunity for. open communications;

parents should get to know the par tsof their teen's friends.

,tIII. Discipline

Parents are urged not to treat lightly the use ofmarijuana or any other illegal drug by theirteenagers, and to .learn druvuse symptoms!

A. Parents should support school'dtsciplines ankContact the administration if they_have anyquestions:

B. Appropriate, consistent discipline indicatesConcern for and love of teenagers.'Groundingand/or remoiral of car privileges are effectivedisciplinary means during the high school

t.years. 4

C. If behavior problems continue (drug use;cutting classes, etc.) parents should, withouthesitation, consult the Principal; ifneces-,sary, he can give recommendat.ions for profes-'sional assistance.

4101-,

98

'O. s. noVERNMENT 1R1491416 OFFICE (,1070 0 - 300-800