Teenagers Driving High
Costly for everyone, in every way.
A Problem Plaguing Colorado Today
In 2011, it was reported by the CDC that 22.0% of Colorado high school age kids (14-18) reported using marijuana in the last 30 days, and as high school students, we know many people around us everyday partake in marijuana usage. We also know that most high school teens are excited to get their driver's license when they turn 16. Another study conducted by the CDC has shown that in 2010, 73% of teenagers in America over 16 have their driver's license.
Effects of Marijuana on the Teenage Brain
There are many effects marijuana has on the teen brain. Some of the effects include changes in perceptions and mood, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, disrupted learning and memory, and worst of all when driving, lack of coordination. These effects can last from 1 to 3 hours after ingesting the drug, longer if the drug is consumed in a food or beverage.
Getting Caught
If you were convicted of driving high, you could be carrying a hefty hefty fine, or a long, long jail sentence. You could be sitting rotting in prison for years and years, where as if you had chosen not to drive high that one time, you could be out exploring the world, with a career and a life.
Think About Your Family
Although sometimes it might not feel like it, you're probably the thing your parents care about most in the entire world. If you were to be killed in a DWI accident your parents and family and everyone who knows you would suffer? Is driving high really worth that?
You Could Be Paying Massive Fines
If you were to hit someones car, or even worse, injure someone while driving high, you will definitely be shelling out enormous sums of money in reparations, lawyer fees, or even hospital bills. it could amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, or you could pay the $30 dollars for an uber home. But I guess that's up to you.
Alternatives
Everyone our ages knows that many people choose to smoke marijuana. We also know that many people make the decision to smoke and drive. As students of Legend High School we have seen first hand the sort of tragedies that can and will hapen to high school kids. There are many alternatives to smoking and driving, if you're with a group of friends smoking marijuana, often a person or two in the group will still be sober. If you need to go somewhere, you should always ask the sober one to drive, while you might not want someone other than you driving your car, it's often better than you totaling your car. If you aren't able to have any sober friends or family drive you anywhere, you can always call a friend or family member to come pick you up, I am sure they would understand, or if that is not an option either you can find a taxi, or an uber driver to drive you home, while these can get expensive, I promise it would be cheaper to pay someone to drive you home rather than all the fees outlined earlier in the poster such as car repairs, lawyer fees, medical bills, and more.