Interested in helping Prevent Underage Substance Abuse in our Community? Want to help create a Community Culture that supports healthy choices for youth and adults in our community? Join us at the table, for a light lunch and conversations and action steps to be the change…
We thank Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church for allowing us the use of their space. We meet in the main hall. Lunch starts at 11:30am. Meeting is 12noon-2pm. All welcome. Please RSVP 378-9683
More than 1/2 of non-medical drug users get medicine from family or friends. Not drug dealers. #PreventRxAbuse
Shared from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
TOBACCO USE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Despite reductions in smoking prevalence achieved since the first Surgeon General’s report on the consequences of smoking in 1964, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.1 Smoking accounts for more than 480,000 deaths in the United States each year, and is a major risk factor for the four leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke.2 Many subpopulations, including those with mental illness, continue to suffer from disproportionately high tobacco use and its associated health consequences.
Tobacco Use Among Persons with Mental Illness
According to data from the 2009-2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 36.1% of adults with any mental illness were current smokers*, compared to 21.4% of adults without any mental illness. Further, about three out of ten smokers (29.5%) have a mental illness. Among those with mental illness, current smoking was even higher among men, those under age 45, and those living below the federal poverty line. Nearly half of adults with mental illness living below the poverty line are current smokers. 3 In addition to having higher smoking rates, adults with mental illness also tend to be heavier smokers.4 According to NSDUH, nearly one- third (31%) of cigarettes smoked by adults are smoked by those with mental illness.5
It is important to note that most data on the smoking prevalence of those with mental illness are limited by the exclusion of those who are institutionalized—either in treatment or incarcerated†—and those experiencing homelessness. Research estimates that between a quarter and a third of the chronically homeless are mentally ill.6 Finally, given that NSDUH’s definition of any mental illness excludes substance abuse, these rates likely underestimate smoking among the adult population with mental illness. Other data from NSDUH has indicated that those who have received treatment for a substance use disorder are three times more likely to be current smokers.7
Data on smoking rates among youth with mental illness is very limited, and is not reported in nationally representative datasets. However, some research suggests that smoking prevalence follows patterns similar to adults with mental illness, with findings ranging from 20-60% of youth with mental illness reporting tobacco use.8
Health and Economic Consequences of Tobacco Use Among Persons with Mental Illness
Smoking accounts for more than 480,000 deaths in the United States each year, and is a major risk factor for the four leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke.9 It is estimated that over 40 percent (around 200,000) of these deaths are among persons with mental illness or substance abuse.10 According to one study, persons with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years prematurely, primarily due to chronic illness, including tobacco-related disease.11 In addition, smoking may interfere with many prescription medications commonly used to treat mental illness by reducing the therapeutic blood levels of certain psychotropic medications, thereby undermining their effectiveness.12
In addition to the tremendous burdens that persons with mental illness often face, such as higher rates of unemployment, victimization, homelessness, poverty, incarceration and social isolation, smoking adds a significant financial burden.13 For example, persons with schizophrenia have been found to spend 27% of their
* NSDUH defines any mental illness as “having a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, excluding developmental and substance use disorders, in the past 12 months” and defines current smoking as “smoking all or part of a cigarette within the 30 days preceding the interview.”
† Tobacco sales have been banned in prison commissaries since 2006. In January 2015, the Federal Bureau of Prisons prohibited tobacco use in any form except as part of religious activity; however, staff and visitors may smoke in designated smoking areas except where prohibited by state or local law. While smoking cessation programs are sometimes available to prisoners, no financial support is provided to prisoners for nicotine replacement therapy. Further, contraband cigarettes continue to be a problem for US prisons. See http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/100smokefreeprisons.pdf for more information.
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income on cigarettes.14 Similarly, these stressful conditions can also make it harder for persons with mental illness to quit smoking and limit their access to cessation services.
Tobacco Industry Targeting of Persons with Mental Illness
The tobacco industry is infamous for targeting its products to vulnerable populations, and the mentally ill are no exception. Examination of tobacco industry documents found that in the 1980s and 1990s, the tobacco industry targeted some psychiatric hospitals with sales promotions and giveaways of value brand cigarettes. There is also evidence of mental health institutions and treatment facilities soliciting financial donations and donation of cigarettes from the tobacco industry.15 The tobacco industry has fought restrictions on smoking bans in hospitals and medical facilities—specifically psychiatric institutions.16 Finally, the industry has funded a substantial body of research in its attempts to assert that smoking is both less harmful to those with schizophrenia and that it is a necessary self-medication tool.17
Industry targeting of the homeless population—who are disproportionately burdened by mental illness—has been even more flagrant, including donation of cigarettes to homeless shelters by Lorillard and donation of blankets branded with Phillip Morris’ Merit logo to homeless shelters. RJ Reynolds’ urban marketing plan in the 1990s specifically focused on targeting value brands to “street people.”18
Helping Persons with Mental Illness Quit Smoking
Given that one in five adults in the US—over 45 million people19—have some form of mental illness, addressing the disparately high smoking rate in this population is critical. Services and policies to help people quit using tobacco consist of a variety of evidence-based, individual and population-level approaches aimed at reducing the toll of tobacco use by helping users quit. According to the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, tobacco cessation treatments are effective across a broad range of populations. It is critical that health care providers screen for tobacco use and provide advice to quit to tobacco users.20
Unfortunately, persons with mental illness have lower quit rates than the rest of the population. The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative longitudinal study, found that persons with a psychiatric diagnosis‡ were 25% less likely to successfully quit.21 However, many studies find that quit intentions are just as high, if not higher, among those with mental illness than the general population.22 Further, while at the population level, persons with mental illness have lower quit rates, studies show they can achieve equal quit rates with access to appropriate cessation services.23
Myths abound that smoking is an important stress coping mechanism for those with mental illness, and therefore smoking cessation is often deprioritized by mental health providers.24 While providers should closely monitor mental health patients pursuing smoking cessation, evidence does not point to smoking cessation as disruptive to mental health treatment.25 Randomized controlled trials have shown that smoking cessation treatment among patients receiving mental health treatment is effective and does not exacerbate mental health symptoms or lead to increased use of alcohol or illicit drugs.26 Further, studies have consistently found that smoking cessation is actually associated with reduced depression, anxiety and stress, as well as improved quality of life.27 As such, both the CDC and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) encourage integration of cessation treatment with mental health services.28 Unfortunately, a 2006 study of over 800 practicing psychiatrists found that only 23% recommended nicotine replacement therapy and even fewer (11%) provided referrals, despite self-reporting greater prevalence of smoking in their patient population than other practitioners. Only 62% of psychiatrists had advised smoking patients to quit, as compared to 93% of internal medicine providers.29 Further, only a quarter (24.2%) of mental health centers and less than half (46%) of substance abuse treatment centers offer cessation services.30
In addition to individual level treatment, the adoption of consistent tobacco prevention policies across mental health and substance abuse treatment contexts could help encourage cessation among those with mental illness. Effective in 1993, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) set smoke-free standards for hospitals; however, mental health advocacy organizations successfully fought for the exclusion of psychiatric inpatient units and substance use facilities from this standard.31 Further, some
‡ Categorized as those with any lifetime or past year psychiatric diagnosis as defined by the DSM-IV. This definition includes a broader definition than defined by NSDUH data.
Tobacco Use and Mental Health / 2
outpatient mental health patients still use cigarette provision or cigarette breaks as incentives for treatment compliance.32 While many mental health facilities have subsequently implemented smoke-free policies, there is still progress to be made. The 2014 Surgeon General’s Report, The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress, concluded that “exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke has been causally linked to cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases, and to adverse effects on the health of infants and children.” Further, the report concluded that smoke-free laws are proven to encourage smokers to quit.33 As previously noted, smoke-free policies should be coupled with the integration of smoking cessation services and mental health treatment to prevent relapse when patients leave care.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, September 22, 2015 / Laura Bach
Additional Sources of Information
5 CDC, “Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Mental Illness—United States, 2009-2011,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(5): 81-87, 2013.
6 SAMHSA, “Current Statistics on the Prevalence and Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States,” July 2011, http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/hrc_factsheet.pdf.
7 SAMHSA, “Nicotine Dependence among Persons Who Received Substance Use Treatment,” The NSDUH Report, June 23, 2011. http://archive.samhsa.gov/data/2k11/WEB_SR_031/WEB_SR_031.htm.
8 See e.g., DeHay, T, et al., “Tobacco use in youth with mental illnesses,” Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 35: 139-148, 2012; Upadhyaya, H, et al., “Psychiatric disorders and cigarette smoking among child and adolescent psychiatry inpatients,” American Journal on Addictions, 12: 144-152, 2003. MacPherson, L, et al., “Association of post-treatment smoking change with future smoking and cessation efforts among adolescents with psychiatric comorbidity,” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 9: 1297-1307, 2007. Morris, CD, et al., “Predictors of tobacco use among persons with mental illnesses in a statewide population,” Psychiatric Services, 42: 393-402, 2006.
9 HHS, The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014, http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/. CDC, “Deaths: Leading Causes for 2010,” Table D, National Vital Statistics Reports, 62(6), December 20, 2013, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_06.pdf.
10 See, e.g., Grant, B, et al., “Nicotine Dependence and psychiatric disorders in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions,” Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(11): 1107-1114, 2004.Schroeder, SA, et al., “Confronting a Neglected Epidemic: Tobacco Cessation for Persons with Mental Illnesses and Substance Abuse Problems,” Annual Review of Public Health, 31: 297-314, 2010.
11 Colton, CW, et al., “Congruencies in increased mortality rates, years of potential life lost, and causes of death among public mental health clients in eight states,” Preventing Chronic Disease, 3: A42, 2006.
12 See e.g., Zevin, S, et al., “Drug interactions with tobacco smoking. An Update,” Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 36: 425-438, 1999.
13 CDC, “Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Mental Illness—United States, 2009-2011,” Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report, 62(5): 81-87, 2013.
14 Steinberg, ML, et al., “Financial implications of cigarette smoking among individuals with schizophrenia,” Tobacco Control, 13: 206, 2004.
15 Apollonio, DE, et al., “Marketing to the marginalized: tobacco industry targeting of the homeless and mentally ill,” Tobacco Control, 14: 409-415, 2005. 16 Prochaska, JJ, et al., “Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Schizophrenia: What Role Has the Tobacco Industry Played?” Schizophrenia Bulletin, 34(3): 555-567, 2008.
17 Prochaska, JJ, et al., “Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Schizophrenia: What Role Has the Tobacco Industry Played?” Schizophrenia Bulletin, 34(3): 555-567, 2008. See also Hirshbein, L, “Scientific Research and Corporate Influence: Smoking, Mental Illness and the Tobacco Industry,” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 2011.
18 Apollonio, DE, et al., “Marketing to the marginalized: tobacco industry targeting of the homeless and mentally ill,” Tobacco Control, 14: 409-415, 2005.
Tobacco Use and Mental Health / 3
19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Adult Smoking: Focusing on People with Mental Illness,” CDC Vital Signs, February 2013. 20 Fiore, MC, et al., Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update—Clinical Practice Guideline, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service, May 2008, http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use08.pdf.
21 Smith, PH, et al., “Smoking and mental illness in the US population,” Tobacco Control, published online on April 12, 2014.
22 See e.g., Joseph, AM, “A randomized controlled trial of concurrent versus delayed smoking intervention for patients in alcohol dependence treatment,” Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111(4): 670-675, 2004. Prochaska, JJ, et al., “Depressed smokers and stage of change: implications for treatment interventions,” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 76(2): 143-151, 2007.
23 Hickman, NJ, et al., “Treating Tobacco Dependence at the Intersection of Diversity, Poverty, and Mental Illness: A Randomized Feasibility and Replication Trial,” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(8): 1012-1021, 2015.
24 Prochaska, JJ, “Smoking and Mental Illness—Breaking the Link,” New England Journal of Medicine, 365(3): 196-198, 2011.
25 See e.g., Prochaska, JJ, “Smoking and Mental Illness—Breaking the Link,” New England Journal of Medicine, 365(3): 196-198, 2011. Prochaska, JJ, “Failure to treat tobacco use in mental health and addiction treatment settings: A form of harm reduction?” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 110(3): 177- 182, 2010.
26 See e.g., Hall, SM, et al., “Treatment of smokers with co-occurring disorders: emphasis on integration in mental health and addiction treatment settings,” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 5: 555-567, 2009. Cavazos-Rehg, et al., “Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders,” Psychological Medicine, 44(12): 2523-2535, 2014. Prochaska, JJ, et al., “A Meta-Analysis of Smoking Cessation Interventions With Individuals in Substance Abuse Treatment or Recovery,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(6): 1144-1156, 2004.
27 Taylor, G., “Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis,” BMJ, 348, 2014.
28 CDC, “Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Mental Illness—United States, 2009-2011,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(5): 81-87, 2013.
29 Association of American Medical Colleges. Physician Behavior and Practice Patterns Related to Smoking Cessation. http://www.legacyforhealth.org/content/download/566/6812/file/Physicians_Study.pdf.
30 SAMHSA, “About 1 in 4 Mental Health Treatment Facilities Offered Services to Quit Smoking,” The N-MHSS Report, November 25, 2014 http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/Spot148_NMHSS_Smoking_Cessation/Spot148_NMHSS_Smoking_Cessation.pdf. Data from the 2010 National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS). See also SAMHSA, “Nearly Half of Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Offer Counselign or Medication to Help Clients Quit Tobacco Use,” The N-SSATS Report, June 17, 2014. http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSSATS_Spot142_TobCes_06-10-14/NSSATS-Spot142-TobCess-2014.pdf. Data from the 2012 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS).
31 Prochaska, JJ, et al., “Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Schizophrenia: What Role Has the Tobacco Industry Played?” Schizophrenia Bulletin, 34(3): 555-567, 2008.
32 Prochaska, JJ, “Smoking and Mental Illness—Breaking the Link,” New England Journal of Medicine, 365(3): 196-198, 2011.
33 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/index.html
The term “comorbidity” describes two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person. They can occur at the same time or one after the other. Comorbidity also implies interactions between the illnesses that can worsen the course of both. Learn more
Published December 2008. Revised September 2010. Introduces a report that focuses on the topic of comorbid drug use disorders and other mental illnesses, a research priority for NIDA.
Revised March 2011. Offers basic facts about comorbidity between drug use disorders and other mental illnesses, including why these disorders can co-occur, how common they are, and how they are diagnosed and treated. En Español
Teens who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50% less likely to use drugs. #PreventRxAbuse
Undoubtedly, it will come as no surprise to coalitions that teenagers have figured out how to use e- cigarette devices for something other than what they were made for – as vaporizers to inhale marijuana. According to the 2015 Monitoring the Future (MTF), conducted by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), at least 6 percent of the youth who said they used e-cigarettes, indicated that they were vaping marijuana.
As you know, Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults. The survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use, as well as related attitudes since 1975. Each year, approximately 50,000 8 th, 10th, and 12 th graders are surveyed (12 th graders since 1975, and 8 th and 10 th graders since 1991). The use of e-cigarettes was measured for the first time in the 2014 MTF survey. In the 2015 study, which was just released on August 26th, 9.5 percent of 8 th graders, 14.0 percent of 10th graders, and 16.2 percent of 12 th graders reported using e-cigarettes in the month prior to the survey.
This year’s survey – for the first time – asked students across all three grades about what they vaporized the last time they used an e-cigarette:
More than 65 percent said they were vaping just flavoring
About 20 percent affirmed they were vaping nicotine
About 6 percent said that they were vaping marijuana or hash oil And about 6 percent did not know what they had last vaped
The survey further concluded that:
The survey further indicated that there was an increase in the percentage of 8 th and 10 th graders who view regular e-cigarette use as harmful, and who disapprove of its regular use. This data highlights the importance of keeping the pressure on tobacco prevention efforts.
Take a look at the following resources to enhance your knowledge about e-cigarette use:
NIDA’s Teens using e-cig devices not just for nicotine
2015 Monitoring the Future survey results
Tobacco Control’s What are kids vaping? Results from a national survey of US adolescents Animated version of 2015 MTF data
CADCA, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Matthew L. Myers, President of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, shares his thoughts about America’s progress in bringing an end to youth tobacco use, and what additional steps can be taken.
The United States has made incredible progress in reducing youth tobacco use so that the goal of a tobacco-free generation, which once seemed far-fetched, is now realistically within our reach. But the fight against tobacco is far from over, and continued progress is not inevitable. It will require strong leadership and commitment from all segments of our society. CVS Health has provided an amazing example by ending tobacco sales and launching the Be The First initiative.
We have made enormous progress. Since peaking at 36.4 percent in 1997, the smoking rate among high school students has fallen by 70 percent to a record-low 10.8 percent in 2015. But more than 1.8 million high school students are still current smokers. Every day, another 2,500 kids smoke their first cigarette, starting down a path that often leads to addiction, disease and premature death.
The problem isn’t just cigarettes. Our progress is being undermined by the popularity of other tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, cigars and hookah (water pipes). Youth use of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed, and nearly a quarter of high school students used e-cigarettes in 2015. High school boys now smoke cigars at higher rates than cigarettes. These products are sold in an assortment of sweet flavors like cotton candy and fruit punch that appeal to kids.
We must redouble efforts to prevent kids from using any tobacco product. The Food and Drug Administration recently took an important step when it issued new rules for e-cigarettes and cigars, including a national prohibition on sales to kids.
We must fully implement proven strategies that prevent kids from using tobacco: Raise the price of tobacco products. Make all workplaces and public places smoke-free. Conduct strong tobacco prevention programs that include hard-hitting advertising campaigns. Restrict tobacco marketing that appeals to kids.
We also need innovative new approaches. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is supporting one highly promising strategy – prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21. We know that about 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21, so if young people can get to 21 without smoking, most never will. Already, the states of California and Hawaii and over 185 localities across the country have adopted Tobacco 21.
Despite our progress, tobacco use is still the No. 1 preventable cause of death in our country. It kills nearly half a million Americans and costs us $170 billion in health care bills each year. We know the vast majority of smokers start as teens or earlier. By achieving our shared goal of a tobacco-free generation, we can save countless lives and create a healthier future for our children, our communities and our nation.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is proud to partner with CVS Health in its Be The First initiative to create the first tobacco-free generation.
“More than 60% of calls about e-cigarette exposures in Washington are about kids 1-3 years old. Symptoms of an exposure include vomiting, rapid heart rate, and even seizures.”
In a study published online Monday by the journal Tobacco Control, researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute studied tobacco, pina colada, menthol, coffee and strawberry flavors, with strawberry turning out to be most toxic.
“Although many of the flavorings used in e-cigarette liquids have been certified as safe for eating, little is known about their effects when heated and inhaled in e-cigarettes,” senior author Maciej Goniewicz, assistant professor of oncology in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park, said in a press release. “This study suggests that various characteristics of e-cigarettes, including any flavorings, may induce inhalation toxicity, and, therefore, caution should be used with these products until more comprehensive studies are performed.”
The researchers studied bronchial cells exposed to aerosol from variable-voltage e-cigarettes.
“Our study demonstrates that e-cigarette products differ significantly in the degree of their cellular toxicity to bronchial epithelial cells,” Goniewicz said.
He suggested e-cigarette users use less toxic flavors and set their devices at lower voltages to reduce potential harm.
Goniewicz said the findings have public health and regulatory implications. The Food and Drug Administration issued a series of regulations last month involving batteries, circuit boards and wires, as well as some flavors, that will eliminate 99 percent of the vapor products on the market within two years, said Tony Abboud of the Vapor Technology Association. The regulations make it impossible for any company to make alterations to its products without FDA approval, he said in a blog post on the Hill website.
The barriers are being adopted despite evidence e-cigarettes help people quit smoking. Researchers at University College London found the devices helped 18,000 people in England give up tobacco.
E-cigarettes are being treated like tobacco products in British Columbia, banned from workplaces, in parks and on beaches in a bid to protect youths “from the unknown effects of e-cigarette vapor and from becoming addicted to nicotine,” the provincial government said.
Goniewicz’s research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Cancer Institute. Goniewicz also reported he received grants from pharmaceutical companies that manufacture smoking cessation drugs and has served on advisory boards for some of these companies.
The Impact of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado
The statistics are in, and they show that Colorado’s marijuana legalization has not only resulted in the increase of use by people of all ages in the state, but has also impacted the incidences of:
Impaired driving while under the influence of marijuana Emergency room admissions of marijuana cases
Marijuana exposure cases
Diversion of Colorado marijuana
The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) provides important data on how the presence of marijuana has impacted the state in its recently released The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado, The Impact. Colorado and Washington State serve as experimental labs for the nation as states debate the passage of marijuana laws. This report provides an important overview of “before and after” portraits and provides data for coalitions to use as they continue to address the challenges associated with marijuana legalization.
Colorado’s Marijuana Law
In 2010, Colorado’s legislature passed legislation that included the licensing of medical marijuana centers (“dispensaries”), cultivation operations and manufacturing of marijuana edibles for medical purposes. In November 2012, Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana allowing individuals to use and possess an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants. The amendment also permits licensing marijuana retail stores, cultivation operations, marijuana edible factories and testing facilities. Washington voters passed a similar measure in 2012.
Supporters of the marijuana legalization say that the benefits of marijuana legalization far out- weigh the disadvantages. Law enforcement time would be freed up; there would be less arrests for possession and sale; reduced traffic fatalities since users would switch from alcohol to marijuana; no increase among youth because the regulations would be so tight; added tax revenue; and the black market on marijuana would be eliminated. Those opposed to legalization say that there will be adverse consequences, including increased marijuana use among youth and young adults; increased marijuana-related traffic fatalities; and a rise in the number of marijuana-addicted individuals in treatment.
Here’s where Colorado stands on some of these factors, six years after the legalization began:
Impaired driving: Increased 48 percent in the three‐year average (2013‐2015) since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana compared to the three‐year average (2010‐2012) prior to legalization. Marijuana-related traffic deaths increased by 62 percent from 71 to 115 people after recreational use of marijuana was legalized in 2013.
The bottom line – coalitions, policymakers, and ultimately citizens should review this and similar data before major legalization decisions are made on this important topic.
You can read the full report here. Other reports on Colorado marijuana legalization can be viewed through the RMHIDTA’s website under the Reports tab.
CADCA Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America cadca.org
A favorite activity for young and old alike at the Fair, the FREE Healthy Message T-Shirt activity at our booth! This year, we thank Community Treasures for donating to support these efforts! They helped cover the cost of over 450 t-shirts and the art supplies to decorate them for our community to engage in this worth while message! Choose Health! Thanks to everyone that volunteered or stopped by and shared your creativity by making a t-shirt!