Teens

My expertise is teenagers.  I have never met one I didn't like.  They remind me of menopausal ladies who really cannot help themselves.  Their emotions are all over the place.  I call myself an expert because my whole life has been about kids my own and lots of other peoples kids as well.  My professsional career was as a teacher and principal.  I then developed and wrote a program called ECHO, Every Challenge Has Options, that was used by various district judges in order to give a second chance to kids they felt were deserving.  I am going to start blogging about various handouts I use for the program that I think will be useful to parents and educators everywhere.  This one is called 

TO SMOKE OR NOT TO SMOKE THAT IS THE QUESTION
The legalization of marijuana, in some states, has brought awareness of its use into focus.  Some of us have become very complacent about "smoking" weed.  We can give many good reasons why it is okay and even rationalize it by concluding it is better for you then tobacco. Here are some gory details about the effects on the lungs.  Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have.  These individual may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds.  Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).  Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem-solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.




 Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers.  This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.



Okay, that should give you something to think about.  My next blog will be about EFFECTS OF HEAVY MARIJUANA USE ON LEARNING AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR.  KEEP COMING BACK!

Cass
www.echoforteens.com