Smoking Pot In Teen Years Lowers IQ Later

Teens who smoke marijuana see their IQs drop as adults, and deficits persist even after quitting, according to a new study. "The findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects," study researcher Madeline Meier of Duke University said in a statement. The study followed 1,037 New Zealand children for 25 years. Subjects took IQ tests at age 13, before any of them had smoked marijuana, and again at age 38.

Throughout the study, participants also answered several surveys about their drug use. Roughly 5 percent of the participants started using marijuana as teenagers. Those who smoked marijuana at least four times a week and used marijuana throughout their life saw their IQ drop an average of 8 points, the equivalent of going from an A to a B student. The drop was not explained by other drug use, years of education, schizophrenia or using marijuana in the day before the test. People who eventually quit smoking pot still had lower IQs than they did at the start of the study. Interestingly, people who picked up the habit as adults had no IQ drop, suggesting that marijuana may not be as harmful to the mature brain.

The findings are the first to associate intelligence declines with marijuana use. Past work linked low IQ and marijuana, but couldn't rule out the possibility that people who choose to smoke pot are inherently less smart than abstainers. It's not clear why pot is bad for teen brains. One possibility is that teenagers are more vulnerable to marijuana's effects on brain chemistry, said Susan Tapert, a neuropsychologist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the study. During adolescence, neural connections are pruned in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, critical regions for learning, memory and planning, Tapert said.

Those regions may also soak up the active ingredient in marijuana."A lot of the areas that are still developing during adolescent years happen to be the areas with high cannabis receptor density," Tapert told LiveScience. But those who consistently smoke marijuana may simply make less intellectually stimulating choices at critical points in life. "What people tend to do when they're under the influence is different than they would otherwise," Tapert said. For instance, pot users may be less inclined to attend classes or do other activities that give the brain a workout. Getting off track early on can also limit future opportunities and thereby reduce IQ, she said. [10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp] "Teens need to view cannabis as not an entirely benign compound, but as something that can impair your judgment and might not be great for your brain," Tapert said. The study is detailed today (Aug. 27) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Sooners adhere to tobacco ban policy, OU officials said

A majority of OU employees and students seem to be observing the tobacco ban policy, as OU police have had limited interactions with policy breakers, and landscaping workers are spending less time picking up cigarette butts, OU officials said. Since the tobacco ban policy was implemented July 1, OU police have responded to about 12 instances of tobacco use on campus, OU police department spokesman Lt. Bruce Chan said. Citizens either flag down officers on patrol or call the non-emergency hotline to report the incident, Chan said.

Every officer response to tobacco use has been a verbal warning as of now, he said. OU police have not issued any citations. Landscaping and Grounds director Allen King said he has seen an improvement on campus since the policy was put into effect. The common clean up areas are noticeably cleaner, King said. There is more time to work on the gardens and other ground maintenance since workers aren't having to pick up butts and drive around to empty ashtrays, King said. “It gives us more time,” King said. “It's an hour to an hour and a half a week that we could be doing something more productive.”

King also said some of his 65 full-time employees are making efforts to quit, such as attending clinics set up by facilities management or using electronic cigarettes. King himself smoked but quit cold turkey more than 20 years ago, he said. “I completely understand what they are doing,” King said. “I always hated the phrase, 'I'm trying to quit.' You have got to have the mindset to quit.” Each time information is available about tools that smokers can use to cut back or quit, King said he takes the fliers and puts it into the mailbox slots of his employees.

The tobacco ban policy was implemented July 1 after OU put together a task force to create a policy. The task force recommended a policy with smoking areas, but an executive order from Gov. Mary Fallin mandating that smoking not be allowed on state property overruled the smoking areas. OU's tobacco ban policy can be enforced by any university official, and breaking the policy can result in a verbal warning up to a $50, according to the policy. OU's tobacco ban policy prohibits both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. OU's tobacco policy truly will be a success if it can get just one, maybe two, people to quit, King said. “I've seen what [smoking] can do to people,” he said. “It's five dollars a pack...it's just not worth it.”

UTD to enact tobacco ban

University officials will implement a new ban on Aug. 31 targeted at further eliminating tobacco on campus, according to a university webpage that was under development as of Aug. 23 and email from the university. The ban will be discussed in a town hall meeting that has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 28 in the Engineering and Computer Science South Building.

Although the details are not yet finalized, the ban is the result of a requirement the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT, adopted in February. This requirement states that all recipients of CPRIT funding in amounts greater than $25,000 must be tobacco-free, and UTD is one such institution that is awarded CPRIT grants.

According to the webpage, the ban would include all forms of tobacco products, including smokeless varieties such as snuff and electronic cigarettes. Also known as e-cigarettes, the smokeless device lacks the health problems of a traditional cigarette and helps many smokers quit. The plan mentioned in the webpage will primarily affect the Berkner and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory, or NSERL, buildings, as they receive the CPRIT funding.

Although smoking is already prohibited in all buildings and within 25 feet of airways, the new policy would expand that to ban all tobacco products in the area and buildings immediately adjacent to NSERL and Berkner, as well as prohibit tobacco within 10 meters of campus buildings and other tobacco-free zones. In spite of the large population of smokers on campus, some people are excited about a tobacco-free policy and the prospect of healthier air.

“I have asthma. I hate walking around and having people smoke,” said biology junior Michelle Bui. “People don’t listen to the signs that say to smoke 20 feet away from the door. They just sit there and smoke and you smell it all throughout the air.” Despite the prohibition of e-cigarettes, there are still options for those who would want to quit smoking and other tobacco-related activities. The UT System’s Living Well program offers free tobacco cessation assistance, including counseling and various nicotine replacement drugs, to UT System employees. Students will be able to receive online assistance through the Student Wellness Center.

“We are going to try and have programs that will try to convince students to not use tobacco. It’s not healthy for you,” said Student Government President Rajiv Dwivedi. “The awareness has to come gradually, though. You can’t force it on someone.” Students, faculty and staff who consistently violate the policy may be subject to the standard disciplinary actions outlined in their respective conduct policy, though the university strongly encourages peers to remind offenders of the policy and encourage them to refrain. Until recently, the webpage had stated that all tobacco products were to be completely banned from the campus, including all outdoor areas, by the fall 2013 semester. It is unclear if this proposition will make it into the final draft of the new policy.

As the restrictions the webpage outlines on smoking do not differ greatly from the existing rules on smoking, there is a possibility that smokers on campus could ignore the new policy all together. “Banning something on what is essentially open air doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” said Adam Burns, historical and literary studies sophomore. “You are going to have really irritable smokers. It is just going to result in the university trying to enforce something that is disobeyed so often that it cannot possibly be enforced.”

While there could be various improvements in the overall health and aura of campus resulting from the cleaner air, some believe it would promote more headaches than healthy lifestyles. “The evidence for secondhand smoke damage is kind of thin, but it makes sense; I’m not going to discredit it,” Burns said. “But you can’t even begin to argue a secondhand risk for chewing tobacco or electronic cigarettes. It’s water vapor; it’d be like banning humidity.” More information on the university’s tobacco-free policy will be posted on the UTD website.

Tobacco Use Higher in Rural Areas

Tobacco use is higher among rural communities than in suburban and urban areas, and smokeless tobacco use is twice as common. According to the American Lung Association, rural youth are more likely to use tobacco and to start earlier than urban youth, perpetuating the cycle of tobacco addiction, death and disease.

In its latest health disparity report, “Cutting Tobacco’s Rural Roots: Tobacco Use in Rural Communities,” ALA says the increased tobacco use is associated with lower education levels and lower incomes, which are both common in rural areas where there may be fewer opportunities for educational and economic advancement. The exposure to secondhand smoke is also likely to be higher, since rural communities are less likely to have smoke-free air laws in place, and that probably makes residents less likely to ask individuals not to smoke in their homes or other indoor places they control.

The report also pointed out that the tobacco industry "spends millions of dollars targeting rural youth," and "these young people are less likely to be exposed to tobacco counter-marketing campaigns. Rural tobacco users are also less likely to have access to tobacco-cessation programs and services to get the help they need to quit. Promotion of the availability of state counseling services by phone and online resources also lags in rural communities."

NCC cadets seek to stub out tobacco use

The NCC cadets attached to the Flight B –II, 3 (Tamil Nadu) Air Squadron (Tech) NCC unit of the National College took out an anti-tobacco rally to create awareness of harmful effects of using tobacco. K.Anbarasu, principal, flagged off the rally, from the college premises after Sergeant Mariyappan administered the anti-tobacco pledge.

The principal explained the noxious effects of nicotine and other tobacco components and advised students to say a firm ‘no’ to tobacco. Commending students for their social commitment, he urged them to continue the campaign vigorously. K. Raghuraman, secretary of the college, offered felicitations.

Led by Flight Lieutenant, R.Sundhararaman, the NCC cadets proceeded through Milaguparai, Collectorate, St. John’s Vestry School junction, Cantonment and returned to the college. They carried placards with slogans explaining evil effects of using tobacco . The permanent instructional staff of 3 (Tamil Nadu) Air Squadron (Tech) NCC, also participated in the rally.

Underage tobacco sales down locally

Fewer Santa Barbara County retailers sold tobacco to youths this year, but results of the undercover operation still put the area above the statewide average of 5.4 percent. Of 341 retailers visited, 12 percent, or 42 stores, sold cigarettes to an underage decoy, according to results from the joint operation between the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, law enforcement and youth-serving agencies. The county percentage is more than double the state average, but a decrease from last year’s 17 percent.

“The results were encouraging in the county area,” said Dawn Dunn, program administrator of the county’s Tobacco Prevention Settlement Program. “Sales rates appear to be on the decline. Compared to state, it’s a little troubling.” As in past surveys, sales to teenage decoys varied throughout the county from 3 percent in Santa Maria (two of 79 retailers) and Lompoc (one of 33) to 39 percent in Goleta (12 of 31). Dunn said Goleta’s illegal sales rate was alarmingly high. “Rates near 40 percent are quite out of the norm,” she said.

This year’s illegal sales rates were the highest they’ve ever been in Goleta, Guadalupe and Carpinteria. Guadalupe’s rate for 2012 was 29 percent, or two of seven retailers, and Carpinteria decoys were successful 26 percent of the time, or in five of 19 stores. Cities that had no underage sales last year — Solvang and Buellton — saw significant increases as well. Solvang’s rate was 29 percent, or two of seven, and Buellton clocked in at 17 percent, or two of 12. Lompoc showed a significant improvement, falling from 31 percent (9 of 29) last year to 3 percent in 2012. Dunn said the best way to look at the data is to compare rates to last year and to keep in mind that some cities have more retailers than others.

“Each city obviously has its unique circumstances,” Dunn said. “We cannot control for all of the variables. These figures are a snapshot of a moment in time that paint a picture.” She attributed part of the overall county decrease to the county Board of Supervisors voting in 2010 to strengthen the penalties associated with selling tobacco to minors in the unincorporated areas. “It’s nice to see there might be some effect,” Dunn said. “We want to educate retailers that this is important.” The Tobacco Prevention Settlement Program will host a free Board of Equalization training for tobacco retailers Sept. 6 in Santa Maria, with video conference available in Santa Barbara. Retailers interested in attending can call 681-5407.

Gloucester County freeholders look to ban smoking in public parks

Smokers make have to take their butts elsewhere if the Gloucester County freeholders do what they intend to — ban tobacco use in all county parks and recreational areas. A resolution, up for consideration at tonight’s regular meeting, would amend the parks and recreation rules to clear the cigarette smoke out of the county’s four public parks. “We’ve thought about it for a while now,” said Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger. “When the latest report (from the American Cancer Society) came out, we really got the ball rolling on this.”

The recent study — which closely examined New Jersey — revealed that South Jersey residents are more likely to have cancer than those in northern New Jersey due to smoking more. The report also showed that the rates of cancer and deaths from cancer in the state are higher than the national average. “We think our families and their children should have a clean and safe environment,” Damminger said. “And if they want to smoke, they can leave the premises.” The public seems to agree. And disagree. “I don’t see why they would be against it. It’s open air.

It’s not like sitting in a restaurant where people are getting second-hand smoke,” said Greenwich Township resident Cliff Boardman, who was at Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park on Tuesday. “They’re really pushing this now, huh?” National Park resident Kari Tomeo and her friend Victoria Rastelli, both of Deptford Township, were split on the matter. Both women were also watching over their children at the playground. “I think that sucks,” Tomeo said. “I think it’s an excellent idea,” Rastelli said. “It’s outside. If you’re on a bench 20 feet from someone else, it shouldn’t matter,” Tomeo said. “But people litter and don’t throw things away,” Rastelli argued. “There’s kids around here and they don’t need to be picking up cigarette butts.”

Both women were at the park watching over their own children as they disagreed. Steve Sprague, from Cross Keys, wasn’t a fan of the idea. “I think it’s probably a bad idea,” Sprague said. “It’s out in public, in open air. There’s too many restrictions already. Too much government control can’t be a good thing.” Gloucester County’s four public parks include James J. Atkinson Memorial Park in Washington Township, Scotland Run Park in Clayton, Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park and Greenwich Lake Park in Greenwich Township. More than 650,000 people visit these parks each year. The enforcement of a smoking ban falls within the jurisdiction of local law enforcement, according to the county.

Washington Township and Clayton already have ordinances in place that prohibit smoking at public and recreational locations. Damminger said the county has already engaged in a dialogue with both National Park and Greenwich to adopt similar ordinances so that the ban could be enforced. “Smoking is unhealthy and it sends the wrong message to children. When you go to a park you see toddlers playing and people engaging in healthy activities, the last thing you want is second hand smoke and cigarette butts on the ground,” Freeholder Adam J. Taliaferro said. Taliaferro, liaison to the Department of Parks and Recreation, said that although the volume of constituent complaints about smoking have been low, he felt it was important to officially act and prohibit smoking in the county parks.