Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition Targets Youth in Marijuana Prevention Campaign

Moundsville, WV – The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition (MCADC) has launched a marijuana prevention campaign targeting youth in Marshall County. The campaign titled, “Don’t Get Defined,” focuses on youth making smart decisions when confronted with marijuana use.

The campaign includes a 15-second commercial, a billboard, and more than 200 posters distributed to local middle and high schools. John Marshall High School students in a video editing class created the 15-second commercial.

Marijuana remains the most popular drug among teens. Marijuana use increased for the fourth year in a row after a decade of decline. Nearly 7% of high school seniors report smoking marijuana daily, according to "Monitoring the Future," the nation's most comprehensive survey of teenage drug use.

"It's the highest percentage we have seen in about 30 years," said Jon Lewis, Drug Free Communities Coordinator. He added that this growing numbers of teens don't think marijuana is dangerous.

On the other hand, tobacco and alcohol use are at their lowest levels since the survey began in 1975, Lewis said. "Kids consider smoking cigarettes to be dangerous. They are staying away from it and I think this has a lot to do with all of the media campaigns against smoking.”

According to the survey, half of high school seniors reported having tried an illicit drug at some time, 40% reported using one or more drugs in the past year, and a quarter said they had used one or more drugs in the past month. Among 10th-graders, 38% said they had tried an illicit drug, the survey found.

To combat this growing problem for teens, the MCADC has developed a media campaign to try to educate youth that marijuana is not safe and not a smart decision. In addition to the campaign, the coalition hosted a two-day Highway Drug Interdiction Training last month for local law enforcement officials, and has provided Moundsville Police Department with funds to increase surveillance and patrols. The coalition will be hosting forums to help educate youth about the dangers and legal ramifications of marijuana use next year.

The MCADC is an initiative of the Marshall County FRN. The “Don’t Get Defined,” marijuana prevention campaign was paid for with Federal Drug Free Communities funds.

The MCADC is a non-profit organization working to make Marshall County a safe and drug-free community. For more information on substance abuse prevention or the MCADC, please contact (304) 845-3300 or visit www.marshallcountyfrn.com.