School census: Teens’ parents firm against marijuana as cannabis referendum looms

NZ Herald 30 August 2019
Family First Comment: More good news….
“Parents of Kiwi teenagers are overwhelmingly against letting them smoke cannabis – or at least that’s what the teens themselves believe.” But also, more teens are against cannabis than for.
If the teens can figure it out, why can’t the Greens and the Drug Foundation.
#saynopetodope #VoteNO

Parents of Kiwi teenagers are overwhelmingly against letting them smoke cannabis – or at least that’s what the teens themselves believe.

Census At School, an online programme run by Auckland University, has also found that only 44 per cent of students in the last three years of high school believe it would be okay for someone of their age to use cannabis.

More than half of them (53 per cent), when asked to place their views on a scale from zero (“not at all wrong”) to 100 (“very wrong”), put themselves at 60 or more – leaning towards feeling it would be “very wrong” for someone of their age to use the drug.

And an overwhelming 76 per cent believe their parents would have a score of 60 or more, feeling it would be “very wrong” for teens of their age to use cannabis. Only 21 per cent think their parents would lean towards feeling it was “not at all wrong”.

The census , focusing attention on the potential impact of drugs on children, may help explain why opinion polls have shown a slide in support for legalising cannabis – down from 46 per cent last October to 39 per cent in June in Colmar Brunton polls , and from 60 per cent last November to 39 per cent this month in the Horizon poll .

Voters will decide in a referendum at next year’s election on a bill that would allow legal purchase of cannabis by anyone aged 20 or over.

The Year 11-13 students who were asked about alcohol and drugs are all under 20 and almost all are under 18, the legal purchase age for alcohol.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12262879  (behind paywall)