"Say no" message focused on youth pot use

The hazards of marijuana use by young people are highlighted in a new ad campaign.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Oct. 7, 2002.

Washington -- Several medical groups, including the AMA, joined with Surgeon General Richard Carmona, MD, and drug czar John P. Walters to reinforce the message in a new Bush administration anti-drug campaign that marijuana is a harmful and addictive drug.

"For far too long, the message to our nation's young people has been that marijuana is harmless, when research has clearly proven that is not the case," said AMA Immediate Past President Richard F. Corlin, MD.

"As physicians, we see the effects of marijuana use firsthand, often by children who aren't even in high school yet," said Dr. Corlin at a Sept. 17 press conference to announce the new ad campaign.

Marijuana is addictive and can harm the brain, lungs and mental health of young people, stressed Dr. Carmona, who had been on the job as the people's doctor for six weeks. Delivering strong prevention and anti-drug messages were high priorities for the new surgeon general when he was nominated to the post by President Bush earlier this year.

"More teens enter drug treatment each year for marijuana than for all the other illicit drugs combined," Dr. Carmona said.

As part of the new campaign, an "Open Letter to Parents About Marijuana" was set to appear in about 300 newspapers the day following the press conference. The letter begins with a simple question: "Did you know?" It then goes on to advise parents that marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug among youth today and that it can lead to a range of "significant health, social, learning and behavioral problems at a crucial time in a young person's development." The letter also warns that "kids can get hooked on pot" and urges parents to learn more about marijuana and to talk to their children about the harm it poses. [...]