ILLICIT DRUGS BAD FOR LEARNING
The latest Mental Health Council of Australia report shows that the average age of first time cannabis users is now 14.9 years, but, many young Australians start illicit drug use well before this average age.
The human brain does not stop developing until the early twenties so that any brain damage will have had a decade or more to develop.
Young people that use cannabis may experience short term memory loss for up to six weeks.
Teenage students that had used cannabis performed poorly in tests of memory loss.
This memory loss leads onto learning difficulties, apathy and little interest in school learning and conflict with others.
Australian National University research indicated that Ecstasy can cause long term damage to memory as it relates to learning.
(Source: Dangers of Drugs, Salvation Army, August 2003)
The Drug Advisory Council of Australia Comments
Illicit drug use alters brain function and so inhibits memory and learning and this damage is occurring younger and for longer periods.
Newer drugs like ICE that produce violence and paranoia are also inhibitors of memory, learning and anti learning behavior.
Illicit drugs are used before, during and after school, college and university so students are beyond the teaching system to train for anything worthwhile.
This brain damage commencing in the teen years is a key factor in why illicit drug education should be aimed at teenagers.
Sweden aims is drug education at teenagers as it has learned from experience that if you can deter teenagers from using illicit drugs then they are highly unlikely to use later in life.
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes. 9/2007