Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, Health System
David A. Young, PhD, MPH, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Subject: Report Back on Education Regarding Marijuana Use Prevention Among Youth
RECOMMENDATION:
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Accept the report on education regarding prevention of marijuana use among youth; advise regarding recommendation.
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BACKGROUND:
The Health System welcomes your request for a plan to address the need for education about and prevention of marijuana use among youth in San Mateo County. We know there is much to be learned from the experience of other states as well as our own experience preventing and addressing the impacts of tobacco use. Chief among these learnings is that it is essential that factual information be provided in effective ways to residents regarding the risks of marijuana use. This plan incorporates those lessons.
Our recommendations have the following underlying assumptions:
1) San Mateo County's local plan should prioritize education and outreach to prevent youth access and exposure to marijuana as the primary goal. We know that the negative impacts are worse with earlier onset of use; that youth who use marijuana use other substances at a higher rate; and that marijuana use impairs cognition and impacts brain development until age 25. (Schauer, CDC, 11/7/17) We believe education and outreach efforts should also include trusted adults associated with youth and young adults.
2) The California Department of Public Health is mobilizing a marijuana public education and surveillance campaign similar to other states that have legalized non-medical use. Our plan should be to leverage the statewide education campaign once it is available to meet local needs because it will be offered at a scale that would be very difficult for every jurisdiction to recreate including professional messaging, targeted to spe...
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