During which months do more teens try marijuana for the first time?

A. January and February
B. April and May
C. June and July
D. September and October

The answer is C—June and July. There is a 40 percent increase in the number of youth who try marijuana for the first time during these 2 months compared to the rest of the year. 1 Each day in June and July, an average of 6,300 youth try marijuana for the first time. 2 Think of it like this—that’s 700 baseball teams.

Why the Increase During the Summer Months?

There likely are several reasons:

• Boredom. Many kids say they started smoking marijuana because they were bored. ³
• Friends who use drugs. Children are more likely to experiment with drugs if their friends do.⁴ During summer, kids have more free time to hang out with friends and make new ones.
• Too much unsupervised time. Having lots of time without adult supervision puts kids at risk for drug use. ⁵

What Can Parents Do?

Monitor your teen’s time. This may be more of a challenge during the summer months than it is during the school year, but it is critical to keeping your child healthy. Changes in families and neighborhoods have increased the amount of time that many young people spend unsupervised. Even when you can’t be home to monitor your child, there are steps you can take to keep an eye on him. It’s time to get creative when it comes to keeping track of your kids.

• Team up. Is there a responsible adult in your neighborhood who is home during the day who can help monitor your child? Network with other adults in your community to help build a “safety net” for your child.
• Technology is your friend. Many teens are plugged into the latest gizmos and gadgets, so use that technology to monitor your child:
1. E-mail. If you have e-mail at work and at home, use it to swap notes with your child during the day.
2. Instant messaging (IM). For many teens, IM is a primary form of communication. You can get IM on your cell phone or computer and use it to chat with your child throughout the day.
3. Cell phones. A growing number of teens have cell phones, and if your teen is one of them, make sure she has it with her at all times.
• Get to know your teen’s friends. They can be an important factor in your child’s decisions about alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. For more information, visit Summer Friendships and Increased Risk of Drug Use.
• Plan regular “check-in” times, but don’t rely solely on them. For example, you might tell your teenage son to call you when he wakes up and again right after lunch. But don’t let these be the only calls you have all day! Call him at home and check in at different times so he gets the message that you want to know where he is at all times.
• Find supervised activities in your community that your teen enjoys. Youth who are involved in constructive, supervised activities during non-school hours are less likely to use drugs. Talk with your child about what she would like to do during the summer and see if you can find a summer program in your community.

“Kids may equate summer with freedom, but for parents, it’s when they need to be even more involved in their teens’ lives. As soon as they pack up their locker for the year and step out of school, kids are much more likely to try marijuana,” said John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. “By keeping teens busy, knowing whom they’re with, and making sure they’re supervised, parents can help prevent their teen’s summer from going to pot.” ⁶

Sources

Additional Resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Tips for Teens: The Truth About Marijuana, last referenced 5/5/2005. (A print version of this publication was released in 2003.)

National Institute on Drug Abuse, September 2004 (revised). Marijuana: Facts for Teens, NIH Publication No. 03–4037, last referenced 5/5/2005.