Juvenile Smoking Leading to Use of Marijuana - Methods for Criminal Justice - Research Paper Example

Juvenile Smoking leading to use Marijuana (Research Methods for Criminal Justice) Research has found that teenagers who used cigarettes were twelve times more likely to graduate to marijuana use. A similar study conducted by Denise Kandel (1992) revealed that use of marijuana affects dopamine levels in the brain in a similar way to nicotine. Cigarette smoking facilitates consumption of other substances. Smoking cigarettes initiate juveniles into the sensation of drug inhalation, which desensitizes them from the feeling of smoke clouding their lungs. This paper finds that marijuana pervades the life of a juvenile tobacco smoker. Teenagers who smoke cigarettes are six times more likely to try buying marijuana in one hour, and eighteen times more likely to report marijuana use among their friends. Among repeat juvenile marijuana smokers, sixty percent first attempted cigarettes. The papers findings indicate that a reduction in juvenile cigarette smoking can be effective in reducing the use of marijuana among teenagers. Juvenile Smoking Leading to Use Marijuana Introduction The National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse study set out to examine the association between juvenile use of cigarettes and marijuana use. Their findings included; Teenagers who use cigarettes are fourteen times more likely to use marijuana. Among teens using marijuana, those who do not use cigarettes have tried marijuana once. Teenagers who have used marijuana and are current tobacco users are sixty percent more likely to be repeat smokers of marijuana. Juveniles, who smoke cigarettes, are 6 times more likely than those who have never used cigarettes to report ability to acquire marijuana in less than an hour. 60% of repeat juvenile marijuana smokers tried smoking cigarettes first. There exists a need for information on when smoking becomes a temptation to the generation of juveniles and young teens. Juveniles suffer from antisocial disorders, which make them turn to marijuana for comfort. As the delinquents become more resistant to the mild intoxicating effects of nicotine, they upgrade to marijuana smoking in order to get high (Hanson et al, 2012). The dependent value here is that the smoking of cigarettes leads to marijuana inhalation; the independent value being the smokers. Marijuana smoking has adverse health effects, with incidents of marijuana smoking in juvenile institutions on the increase (Doweiko, 2012). The government is doing all attempts to reduce the smoking of marijuana amongst teens and among the youth. Literature Review Surveys carried out in Florida showed that an increased number of juvenile kids, who have a history of tobacco use, end up becoming marijuana smokers later in life. The reason behind this is that the juvenile kids require a lot of attention, which cannot be offered in these institutions due to limited funds and resources (Kandel, 2012). Crowding in juvenile centers in Florida allows for much to go unnoticed by the administration in place at the involved institutions. A juvenile who currently smokes cigarettes is fourteen times more likely to smoke marijuana than juveniles who have never experimented with cigarettes. Juveniles who currently smoke cigarettes are twice as likely to use marijuana as those who have attempted cigarettes but are not current smokers. Of teens that have attempted marijuana at least once, twenty percent are current tobacco smokers, with forty three percent smoke cigarettes currently. Among juveniles who have tried marijuana, fifty seven percent first smoked cigarettes twenty nine percent have never used tobacco, and thirteen percent smoked tobacco at approximately the first time that they attempted marijuana (Maxfield & Babbie, 2010, p.59). The survey also showed that, in the remaining 40% of the juvenile kids, 20% of them end up in the use of other drugs such as cocaine and Heroine (Jones & Lovinger, 2005). However, this is not directly associated to the smoking of cigarettes as juveniles. When an individual takes on the road to drugs, the turning point in life to unhook oneself from the addiction comes late. When one gets addicted to cigarettes, followed by marijuana, the next drug on the list is usually Heroine of cocaine. Drug taking is like a ground down an escalator. Once on the escalator, it is hard for one to get off on the way. A reduction of fifty percent in smoking of cigarettes among juveniles could cause a reduction in use of marijuana among juveniles by as much as 16.5-28.5% (Ochsner, 2006). The high end of this range makes the assumption that half of the fifty seven percent of juveniles who used cigarettes would not have used marijuana if they had not experimented with cigarettes. The low end makes the assumption that forty two percent of the fifty seven percent of juveniles who first smoked cigarettes might try marijuana even without trying cigarettes first. Sampling and Research Design This research used surveys, and the combination of the statistics obtained with those obtained from other research carried out prior to the research. The survey involved filling out of questionnaires distributed to several juvenile volunteers. The survey was an open one, where anybody who had juvenile experience could help in the survey. Thus, social workers and youth leaders were crucial respondents in the survey. Those that felt the survey was not right of felt that it did not meet their expectation choose to leave the questionnaire untouched. The questions put forward in the questionnaire included questions that did not infringe on the privacy of the respondents. The questions did not support of any theory or side if the argument. Data collection Technique The survey happened in Florida, with the juvenile homes selected according to the population. Those survey centers with higher populations of juveniles ensured that we spent less time, and got results that were more representative than those from juvenile centers with smaller populations. The survey covered four juvenile homes, and information from the managers of the institutions helped us gather that the all the institutions had several cases that concerned the use of marijuana by the juveniles in the institutions. The institutions could not hold the large number of juveniles sequestered there; although it must be stressed that they do try their best to ensure that the children and the teens get all the necessary help and care that they need to make their time at the centre as fruitful as possible. However, even with these measures, the juveniles have a lot of free time. This could be a significant cause of experimentation with cigarettes, and eventually marijuana. During collection of data, the survey focused on feedback from the juveniles. Dependence on authority hindered previous surveys, especially because some spoke outside the realm of their expertise (Maxfield & Babbie, 2010, p.7). Results The surveys uncovered that the institution were fertile grounds for initiation into the smoking problem that affects American teens. These teens, away from the guiding hand of those who care about them, do not receive the necessary advice that they require to know the adverse effects of drugs such as marijuana. These juveniles begin to smoke cigarettes a short time after coming into the institutions. This, the managers contend, is because of the stress that they experience due to sequestration in a new environment. The newly sequestered juveniles get drawn into the habit by other juveniles who smoke. When acclimatizing to the centre, the individual will see others smoking cigarettes and will one day try it out. This leads to other tryouts that finally lead to addiction to smoking (Jones & Lovinger, 2005). Juveniles who smoked cigarettes, as well as used alcohol, at least one time in the past week were more likely to experiment with marijuana, compared to those who did not. According to the research, tobacco use significantly increases the risk of using marijuana. Ninety percent of marijuana smokers in the surveyed centers admitted to smoking cigarettes before experimenting with marijuana. In contrast, only forty five per cent of identified tobacco smokers also smoked marijuana. The inference from these statistics indicates that most smokers begin by using tobacco, before graduating to marijuana use (Ochsner, 2006). The survey also noted that tobacco use among juveniles was decreasing, mirrored by an increase in marijuana smoking. The juveniles cited education on the adverse effects of cigarette smoking, coupled to information detailing several medicinal uses of marijuana. They also cited the increasing prices of cigarettes, as compared to marijuana, which stayed steady. While the juvenile centers gave the juveniles information regarding the adverse effects of cigarette smoking, marijuana use rarely got discussed. The delinquents thus opted for the “safer” option, preferring to smoke tobacco. According to one manager at the Dade County juvenile centre, myths spread about tobacco use came under spirited counter-arguments by both tobacco companies and health institutions (Ochsner, 2006). However, marijuana use has been open to all sorts of exaggeration. This has caused the juveniles to believe that graduation to marijuana is a step in a healthier direction. Scare tactics have become redundant as the juveniles have access to marijuana research on the internet. Most of this research is not official and seems to show marijuana use as beneficial. Contrasting this with tobacco use, which the media now portrays as a killer, juveniles prefer to graduate to smoking marijuana. References Doweiko H. E. (2012 ). Concepts of chemical dependency. Belmont, CA : Brooks/Cole. Hanson G, Venturelli P. J, Fleckenstein A. E. (2012). Drugs and society. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Jones H. C, Lovinger P. W. (2005). The marijuana question : and sciences search for an answer. Miami: Dodd, Mead. Kandel D. B. (2007). Stages and pathways of drug involvement : examining the gateway hypothesis. New York: Cambridge University Press. Maxfield M. G, Babbie E. R. ( 2010). Basics of research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Stamford: Cengage learning custom . Neinstein L. S. (2007). Adolescent health care : a practical guide. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins . Ochsner A. (2006). Tobacco and marijuana. Geneva, IL: Paladin House. Ochsner A. (2008). Tobacco and Marijuana. New York: Paladin House Pub. Read More