Survey Shows Youths are Blind to the Risks of Meth

From USATODAY.com: Despite methamphetamine's addictive and sometimes deadly effects, one in three youths sees little or no risk in trying the illegal drug, a new survey finds.

Nearly one in four youths believes meth "makes you feel euphoric or happy" or helps you lose weight, and the same number said it would be "very" or "somewhat easy" to obtain meth, according to a first-ever national use and attitudes survey about the drug released Tuesday.

And yet, in a finding that might be of comfort to parents, three out of four youths said they are strongly opposed to using meth.

The survey of 2,602 students age 12-17 was done by The Meth Project, a non-profit Palo Alto, Calif.-based project that aims to reduce first time meth users through advertising campaigns.

About one in six youths has either a friend or a family member who has used or been treated for meth addiction, the survey found. Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]