National Study Says Teens Are Smoking More Pot

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The number of pot smoking teens increased this year with one third of high school seniors admitting they used marijuana during the month before participating in a national survey. And it’s not just seniors. One in seven 8th graders and one in four 10th graders are also smoking pot. This data comes from the 2010 National Institute on Drug Abuse Monitoring the Future study, which has been surveying American teens since 1975. The study, designed and conducted by the University of Michigan, looked at more than 46,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders enrolled in over 350 public and private schools.

New Alarm on Robo Tripping

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There are new warnings about the dangers facing teens who get high on cough medicine.  CNN reports that children are showing up in hospital emergency rooms after mixing cough medicines with stimulants, such as energy drinks and prescription drugs that treat ADHD.  The symptoms include hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and numbness in hands and feet. The Partnership for a Drug Free America reports that 1 in 11 teens admits to Robo tripping.  The high comes from taking very large doses of OTC medicines that contain dextromethorphan, an active ingredient in more than 125 cold and cough medicines, including Robitussin.  Kids also call the practice Dexing, Skittling, and DXM-ing. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says high doses of dextromethorphan, or DXM, affect the same parts of the brain targeted by ketamine or PCP.  These are considered “dissociative” drugs, which make people feel disconnected from their normal selves.  The effect of DXM is similar. Click here to listen to teens describe their experiences with Robo tripping.