Faith -- an anti-drug factor

Dr. Bill Meier with Focus on the Family says a recent report on marijuana abuse and its effects emphasizes the critical importance of faith in young people's lives.

A recent White House reports more evidence that marijuana is unhealthy and potentially dangerous. The White House released the report suggesting teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts. According to the report, a teen depressed at some point in the last year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as those who have not reported being depressed.
 
Dr. Bill Meier of Focus on the Family is not surprised at those results. "We've known for many years that young people, adolescents, and young adults who engage in habitual drug use tend to often have problems with anxiety and depression and low self-esteem," he states.
 
"This is one of these 'chicken or the egg' phenomenon," Meier continues. "You know ... Does the drug abuse cause the depression? Does the depression cause the drug abuse? It's really hard to say," he admits, "but we do know that there is a very clear link between the two."
 
One conclusion is certain, however, says Meier. The report is another message to parents of the importance of instilling faith in their children -- a factor Meier believes can help fend off some of the negative influences.
 
"We need to make faith relevant in our homes," he urges. "Research conducted at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill shows that teens who are actively involved in a faith community are much less likely to be involved in some of the dangerous, risky behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse."
 
And that is where parents need to step in, Meier says. "Parents need to understand that faith is critical in the life of a developing adolescent -- and getting them involved in a healthy church group, in a youth group where they are learning the truths of scripture ... they are learning about Christian worldview ... that'll go a long way in heading off some of these problems," he asserts.