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Opinion

Youngsters need nurturing, not a fat blunt

Christian Palmer
Opinion Columnist

An advertisement in this week's Newsweek claims tobacco is featured in 75 percent of PG-13 movies and suggests that teenagers who watch movies take notice. According to the same ad, kids are at least 65 percent more likely to take up the nasty habit after seeing their cinematic idols light up. The aim of the ad is to restrict smoking to R-rated movies.

However, news coming out of Watauga suggests the threat to kids' health is not only coming to a theater near you, does not only concern tobacco and may not only be restricted to school-aged children.

During the course of a police search executed Feb. 22 in the town near Fort Worth, a tape was found that featured two children ages 2 and 5 being compelled to smoke marijuana by the two teenage suspects being investigated, one of whom is the boys' uncle. The police are now investigating the roles of other parties, including the camera operator, another teenager and a female voice yet to be identified. The kids' mother said she was asleep in another room at the time. 

The children have since been taken out of the home and placed into Child Protective Services, which said it will have the children looked at by doctors. Tabs will also be kept on the kids' health in the future.

The report has been making the rounds in the news, and the general reaction describes the tape as "unbelievable," "despicable" and "bizarre." 

Reducing drug use among kids has always been a top priority, but now we don't have to only worry about middle school and high school students being affected by peer pressure. There are people out there who would actually encourage kids hanging around a sandbox to pass the kouchie. Kids that age ought to be more worried about passing the cooties or going to see the Wiggles. 

Under normal circumstances, a large chunk of the population probably couldn't care less if responsible adults enjoy an occasional blunt and may even be in favor of legalizing the drug. On the other hand, tots smoking pot is probably not on anyone's agenda.

Both men were arrested on two charges of injury to a child -- a felony offense -- and on Monday were transported to Tarrant County jail, where they are each being held on bail -- $225,000 for the uncle and $150,000 for his friend, who is 18. 

Though it's assumed that no irreparable harm has been done to the children and the uncle has been quoted as saying he was not in his right mind when the events occurred, it raises questions about what is being done to curb teen drug use. But the answer is always "not enough." 

Reports are unclear as to whether there are any charges relating to drug possession in the case, though it seems any such charges would naturally take a back seat to the more serious offense of corrupting the children. However, sending people to jail on charges of possession and taking up valuable space and resources in our prison system is not necessarily the best way to combat the problem.

Palmer, a communication/sociology junior, 
can be reached at christianapalmer@gmail.com.