Marijuana use worsens depression in teens
A recent report reveals that some teens are using drugs to relieve depression, when in fact, marijuana use is known to worsen the problem. Using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, and teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers.
In this report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, during this past year, two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year, and depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to self-medicate with marijuana and other illicit drugs. They are also more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on these drugs.
Overall, marijuana use among teens has decreased 25 percent since 2001. This is down to about 2.3 million kids who used pot at least once a month.
via Office of National Drug Control Policy, May 9, 2008
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