Professionals who have social work careers can warn teens about the dangers of drugs

According to the most recent study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 271,000 teens report driving under the influence of illicit drugs, such as marijuana, annually.

In order to teach teenagers the dangers of driving after smoking marijuana, licensed clinical social worker Susan Murphy recently spoke at a New York seminar for youths and their parents, the White Plains' Patch website reports.

Murphy told the audience that while most teenagers know the dangers of driving drunk, many still believe that it is not as risky to drive under the influence of marijuana. However, since the drug can cause a loss of peripheral vision, depth perception and concentration, operating a vehicle after smoking marijuana is incredibly dangerous, even if the teen drives slowly.

The social worker said that after using the drug, the driver can be impaired for up to 48 hours, even if they believe that their high has worn off, according to the news outlet.

Individuals who want to become licensed clinical social workers, like Murphy, may want to consider higher education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a master's degree in social work is typically required for any clinical work.

POSTED BY: ec_admin - May 16th, 2011 at 03:52pm ( 0 )