James C. Backstrom, Dakota County Attorney, and Don Gudmundson, Dakota County Sheriff, have given the drug abuse problem a high priority in their offices. This brochure was designed to inform you about the dangers of drugs. Marijuana is often a gateway drug to other more deadly drugs. Using marijuana is dangerous and addictive. Drugs can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.
Marijuana has several negative physical and mental effects.
Use of marijuana may impair or reduce short-term memory and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car. Even first time users of cocaine may experience seizures or heart attacks, which can be fatal. If you or someone you know has been using drugs, there is help available. Talk to a school counselor, a parent, or friend and check the back of this brochure for some valuable resource numbers. Crimes such as domestic abuse, child abuse and assaults are routinely committed while under the influence of alcohol.