Now, it's really every single group, Mr. Jones said. Fifty percent said it's easy to get pot, said Rhonda Ramsey Molina, the coalition's executive director. It also showed that 44 percent have experience with alcohol, drugs or tobacco by the end of the seventh grade and 25 percent have consumed alcohol by the age of 12. We're not saying that children shouldn't have a social life, but where those parties are there needs to be responsible adults, Ms. Molina said. Parents are extremely important in prevention.
Children do listen to their parents, and they do play a role in their choices.
Fort Thomas parents recently received a crash course on teen marijuana use. The school has become known for posting some of the highest test scores in Kentucky and is a football powerhouse. I don't think there's anything in the world I could do to make sure it didn't happen again, said Dave Freer, assistant principal at Highlands. Kids unfortunately test the system. He worries that marijuana use places teens on a precarious path.