THE GATEWAY EFFECT       Marijuana is a gateway drug a drug which predisposes a person to use additional illicit drugs. While the dependent user may believe he can stop smoking at any time, this is often not the case. Tolerance, withdrawal signs and symptoms are now being reported by patients in treatment. The heavy user, in particular may experience distress such as irritability, nausea, and insomnia when attempting to stop smoking, and this tends to perpetuate continued use.       The use of marijuana by adolescents is a progressive illnes from the teens through young adulthood. The sequence of substances involved is becoming more aware. Young drug users progress from the use of at least one legal drug (alcohol and or cigarettes) to marijuana and from marijuana to other illicit drugs and/or to prescribed psychoactive drugs. This progression is now more the rule than the exception.

SUGGESTIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION PROGRAM 1 ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS. Drug abuse will not go away simply because its presence is denied. Delays in confronting drug problems only give them time to become more entrenched and more difficult to correct. A successful program must have the overall objective to expand existing levels of awareness into a clear understanding of the basic, yet critical issues pertaining to drug abuse. 2 MOTIVATE POSITIVE ACTION Information alone is not enough to deter drug use in the workplace. Programs that hold the most success are those that combine information with programs to present a strong and enforceable policy statement, change attitudes about use and abuse in the workplace, and promote responsible behavior patterns.   MAKE POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE THE RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION FOR A DRUG AND ALCOHOL FREE WORKPLACE!