Getting high for Halloween? Many Iowa teenagers may be doing just that, according to Steve Wallace, national chairman and C-E-O of Students Against Drunk Driving, or SADD. Wallace says in 2001, nearly 38-thousand high school students nationwide reported they had crashed while driving under the influence of marijuana. He says marijuana — and alcohol — are dangerous drugs.Each year, an estimated 14-thousand Iowans between 12 and 17 try marijuana for the first time, and about 12-thousand Iowans in the same age group say they’ve used marijuana in the past month. Wallace says parents need to send their kids a consistent message to debunk the myth that marijuana is harmless.Wallace says teens have gotten mixed messages for years about pot. He says Iowa parents are underestimating the access their children have to marijuana and the numbers of teens who are using it. Wallace says many parents are also unaware the marijuana grown today is between ten and twenty-times more potent than that grown in the 70s or 80s. SADD chapters in Iowa and nationwide are taking part in the new campaign called “Steer Clear of Pot,” touting the harmful effects of teen marijuana use. Wallace recommends “www.TheAntiDrug.com”. The website says “Marijuana affects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving and other tasks. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can also make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.”
