Another Study About Teenagers...

Extra! Extra! This just in! Teen drivers ignore cell phone restrictions!

During the past five years many states have been passing laws restricting teenagers from using cell phones while driving. A recent study shows that although a majority of adults and teenagers agree with the new driving laws, the recent restrictions have little effect, while in some areas the cell phone use rate among teenagers while driving has actually increased since passing the new driving laws...

I mean, come on! Was this study really necessary? Put together a combination of a typical teenager's inexperience and a need to challenge the rules with an inability to enforce a law and what do you think is going to happen?

And you know someone needs to be blamed for the increase in that particular area. Do we blame the teenagers? Of course not. They can do no wrong. How about the law enforcement? No, they have more important things to think about. I know! Let's blame the parents.

My big question in all of this is why are we focusing on teenagers? Yes, according to a different study they are found to be the most likely to have major accidents while cell phones are being used, but does it not increase the chance of major accidents if adults use cell phones while driving too?

Maybe we adults should be the role model (No, not just parents. All adults). Teenagers are seeing adults using the phone while they drive. What message is that sending to them?

In any case, it doesn't seem that creating laws restricting cell phone use among teenagers while driving has made a bit of difference. Maybe we can create a law that requires teenagers to follow the laws. Then we can do a study to see if that has a higher success rate among teenagers.

You can read the article about the study here:
Teen drivers ignore cell phone restrictions

Stoned for 20 years...

I found this article interesting and couldn't help but laugh at the study.

Apparently a study has been done in regards to long term, heavy use of marijuana. "Long term" identified as an average of 20 years among 15 participants and "heavy use" being at least five marijuana cigarettes a day.

It was stated in the article that given these conditions a user "may" be shrinking two parts of their brain; the hippocampus (memory and emotion) and the amygdala (fear and aggression).

After reading this article I had to laugh. The subjects of this study have been stoned for the past 20 years. I think they have lot more to worry about than forgetting a phone number or losing their competitive edge. I'm thinking; what the hell kind of job do they have where they are able to be stoned? Secondly, who in the hell smokes that much in a day?

If the worst thing that can happen after 20 years of heavy smoking is a possibility that you "may" forget a few things and become less aggressive, it doesn't seem like it strengthened the argument to keep marijuana use illegal.

You can read the article here:
Heavy marijuana use shrinks brain parts: study