Paul Coverdell: “But I want to reiterate the importance of this amendment that puts teenage drug addiction in the mix. I have said…”

“But I want to reiterate the importance of this amendment that puts teenage drug addiction in the mix. I have said repeatedly throughout the debate that I think it is unconscionable policy to be talking to the country about teenage addiction and skip the No. 1 problem of teenage addiction, which is drug abuse. It almost is an extension of the silence that we have witnessed over the last several years about this problem. This Senator does not intend to allow that silence to occur here. In other words, the idea being we will pass a bill that deals with teenage smoking and somehow will have comfortably addressed teenage addiction problems is the wrong message. It certainly should be part of the message that we are dealing with teenage smoking, but we cannot--I repeat--cannot ignore the teenage drug issue which is, of course, related to smoking. I point out here, someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These kids may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.”