Pubdate: Thu, 01 May 2014
Source: Republican & Herald (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Pottsville Republican, Inc
Contact:  http://republicanherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1047
Note: Editorial From the Philadelphia Inquirer
Page: 11

DRUG ARRESTS REFLECT REALITY

The American public has so conditioned itself to think of drug abuse
as an innercity problem seen mostly among poor black and brown people
that it is jarring when reality paints a very different picture.

That happened last week when authorities announced that they had
broken up a drug ring catering to privileged teens in Philadelphia's
tony suburbs. Nine adults and two 17-year-olds allegedly sold drugs to
students at Lower Merion, Harriton, Conestoga, and Radnor High Schools.

The arrests made national news, which shows how rare major drug busts
are in such settings. But that's not because Main Line teens are
immune to drug abuse - particularly when it comes to marijuana,
apparently the principal product sold by this ring.

In fact, pot has never been more accessible in high schools. More than
70 percent of teens nationwide say they have friends who use marijuana
regularly, up from 64 percent in 2008. In that time, the number of
teens who had used weed in the past month rose 42 percent, and heavy
users of marijuana increased 80 percent.

The lucrative market reflects this country's evolving view of
marijuana use, which has led two states - Washington and Colorado - to
legalize recreational use and tax sales of the drug. Other states,
envious of the potential revenue, are likely to follow suit, much as
they did in sprouting casinos across the land.

As America heads down that road, it needs to consider the impact on
teen drug abuse. The Partnership at Drugfree.org says 90 percent of
adults with drug or alcohol problems started using before age 18. And
marijuana dependency is the most common diagnosis of teens admitted
for drug treatment.

Those facts add to the significance of the Main Line bust, even though
it took only eight pounds of marijuana and smaller quantities of other
drugs out of circulation. The arrests let dealers know that preying on
children has consequences.
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MAP posted-by: Matt