Perceptions about Dangers of Marijuana, Hard Drug Use Change with Age

The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed an interesting dichotomy about how age impacts teens’ feelings about the dangers of drug addiction. Research showed that the perception of risk of marijuana use decreased with age while teens perceived “hard drugs” such as acid, cocaine and heroin to be more harmful as they got older.

Survey results showed that 43 percent of children aged 12 and 13 perceived a great risk of smoking marijuana at least once a month, but that number decreased to 26 percent for teens aged 16 and 17. However, opposite responses were shown for LSD, cocaine and heroin usage. The report did not track attitudes about alcohol addiction.

The results of the survey could change how drug rehab centers and other drug prevention experts address the risks of drug abuse, according to the report’s authors. They suggest that “understanding the different patterns of risk perceptions that emerge during adolescent development may help to better target health communication messages and increase the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs”.