By Bill O'Reilly
Once in a while, the federal government can actually launch a successful public health campaign. The anti-smoking posture the feds trotted out in 1966 against tobacco has saved millions of live. While overseas smoking is still rampant in many places hastening death and disease. When I was a kid it was all about "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" and "Let's all go to Marlboro Country." In fact while I was covering the news in Denver I was approached by a modeling agency to be the Marlboro guy dressed as a cowboy. I'm from Long Island.
The anti-cigarette campaign in the USA reduced cigarette smoking from 42 percent of adults in 1965 to 18 percent today.
But smoking marijuana is quite the opposite. That's on the rise. As pot use is considered cool in many circles and above all it is politically correct. "Talking Points" has pointed out the folly of this many times even as Washington State and Colorado have legalized the drug. Now comes a new study published today in the Journal of Neuroscience which says smoking pot hurts your brain.
The study analyzed young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who smoke pot about six times a week on average. Data suggests the ingestion of marijuana creates brain abnormalities directly affecting memory, decision- making, emotions and motivation.
Since almost 20 million Americans are regular pot users, this cannot be a good thing for the country and raises public safety concerns at the very least. If you know someone involved with intoxication on a regular basis, you all know they have one thing in common. They are selfish. Their need to flee reality supersedes other goals.
Almost all of us have seen the tremendous damage substance abuse causes in a person. Yet, marijuana is painted as benign in many circles. The truth is that some people can use booze and pot without most harm but most cannot.
However, one thing is definitely true. Once getting high becomes a priority, a person changes for the worse. And those around that person better watch out. So why are we glorifying marijuana? Why? There should be a campaign against pot just like there is against tobacco, should there not?
"Talking Points" is not the morality police. But the United States of intoxication is not a good thing.
Finally, I know I will get the usual letters from folks who like their pot telling me to butt out, pardon the pun. My job is to look out for you, not patronize you. If you care at all about your health and wellbeing, you will read the Journal of Neuroscience. Are you motivated enough to do that?
And that's "The Memo."
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox