THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, September 22, 1995             TAG: 9509220054
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E12  EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   55 lines

TEENS THINK MANY WHO ARE USING MARIJUANA ARE UNAWARE OF RISKS

MUSICIANS SING about their blunts and spliffs. Street vendors emblazon everything from T-shirts to baseballs caps with its symbolic leaf.

And the current return-to-the-'60s and '70s craze has today's teens relishing everything from platform shoes to the drugs that many of the kids of that era took at Woodstock, Grateful Dead concerts or college.

The results of a government survey released this month showed that marijuana use among teens has nearly doubled since 1992. The growing number of teens smoking weed may reflect their belief that marijuana isn't harmful, the study said.

This week, Teenspeak traveled to Churchland High School in Portsmouth and asked local teens whether the survey rings true.

``I think a lot of teens think it's OK to smoke it because they hear about other people doing it, or they don't think it is as bad as other drugs,'' said Ben Velez, 16, a senior. ``That's not true, of course.''

Several students said it was not unusual to see teens smoking pot - or smell a joint a peer just puffed.

``You know people are doing it,'' said Chastina Hasty, a 15-year-old sophomore. ``I think people really need to be more straight with teens about the effects of marijuana. It's not just something you can do without any side effects.''

What about drug education programs in the schools? Don't they get the message across? Yes and no, the students said.

``I think it helps with the younger kids, but maybe they should postpone some of those classes or make sure students keep getting the message in middle school and high school,'' said Jamie Thompson, a 15-year-old sophomore.

Junior Leila Islam, 16, said that popular culture sends teens mixed signals about marijuana. The message, she said, is kind of like: ``Hey, teens. Don't use drugs. Wink, wink.''

``In the end, teens still have to make the final decision, no matter what,'' Leila said. ``You have to stand up and say it's wrong. The final decision is with the individual.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on page E1

Jamie Thompson

Photos

Gevetta Myers

Leila Islam

Ben Velez

Emily Sunnucks

Chastina Hasty

by CNB