There are close to 90 million people who live within the United States that are addicted to some form of narcotic or alcohol substance. This means that 1 out of every 4 Americans will run the risk of being hooked to some type of drug or some form of alcohol during their lifetime. One way that the government, state and community organizations address this issue is through the use of education. Education classes are made available to the public and segments of the population that are at risk. Preventing alcoholism or lowering the use of marijuana among teenagers could be two goals for this type of instruction. Drug and awareness classes help in addressing marijuana problem which can be a problem for some children within different communities across the country.
There are a variety of drug awareness classes that deal with the problem of marijuana. Most of these classes are made available through local schools, hospital, mental health, community centers and outreach programs. Many of the classes are targeted toward teenagers and young adults since they are the most at risk portion of the population when it comes to marijuana usage. It is estimated that at least 5% of the population consistently uses marijuana on a daily basis and at least 7% smokes this substance at least once per month. Statistics also reveal that 1 out of every 12 adolescents between the ages of 12-18 has access to marijuana. According to statistics provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at least 42% of all high school seniors tried marijuana at least one time before they reached age 18. It is estimated that marijuana is most abused in high density college states such as Arizona, and Massachusetts.
When classes are taught to teenagers and adults issues such as the long term impacts from marijuana use are addressed. Students are presented with information about marijuana's affect on the human body and their emotional states. Marijuana has been known to lead to anxiety attacks, depression, schizophrenia and mental illness. Marijuana is also known to place users at a greater risk for stress and violence. This drug significantly increases the heart rate and could possibly cause a user to die from cardiac related problems and it contains carcinogens which irritate the lungs. This drug also interferes with a person's daily life activities, their social stability and their ability to maintain employment.
Marijuana classes also instruct students about the medicinal aspects of marijuana usage. Many people wrongly assume that it is okay to smoke marijuana as long as it's for medical reasons such as in cases of glaucoma and breast cancer. Most classes won't argue that this substance can help to alleviate the problems associated with these conditions but they're also quick to point out that marijuana usage might not be the best way to deal with the symptoms associated with these medical ailments. Younger people should also keep in mind that medicinal marijuana is often made in the form of pills and not rolled and smoked in the form of a "joint".
Since these classes are designed to prevent marijuana use they usually are free to the public. Many organizations are given grants and private donations that goes toward sponsoring classes. Some classes might require a fee and if they do it usually is relatively inexpensive to attend. One inexpensive and highly effective way of gaining skills is to take Drug and Alcohol Awareness Classes online.