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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Canada: Tobacco a gateway drug?
Joyanne Pursaga Winnipeg Sun
Thursday 07 Dec 2006 Youth who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to try other drugs than those who don't, according to a study released yesterday. Cigarette smokers under 20 were 20 times more likely to use cannabis, 14 times more likely to consume alcohol and 13 times more likely to use other illicit drugs than non-smokers in their age group, a Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse report found. While it's a national snapshot, John Borody, chief executive officer of Addictions Foundation Manitoba, said the results hold true in Manitoba. "The bottom line is if your child is smoking, there's a good likelihood they're using alcohol and other drugs as well," said Borody. Winnipeg high school students say the findings aren't a surprise. Oliver Cordeiro, 15, said many student smokers are risk-takers who experiment with lots of substances. "There's a different attitude. They're really edgy. You can't tell them they're doing anything wrong," said Cordeiro. "They don't really care what happens to them. They just want to have fun." "I think peer pressure and curiosity are big things," added Shiloh Lupichuk, 17. "If you're willing to try smoking, you're willing to try other things." Danielle Lobchuk, a 17-year-old smoker, said hanging out in a smoking crowd can mean befriending those likely to introduce you to other drugs. "The people who smoke usually will hang out with other people who smoke, too," said Lobchuk. "That group probably already uses pot, so they'll introduce you to it." Experts say the results support a need to invest in smoking prevention efforts. "We now have concrete evidence this is taking place and there is a fairly dramatic difference between youth who smoke and youth who don't smoke," said Borody. "It shows if we can keep focusing our efforts on provincial smoking policies that could also have an impact on drug use." About 30% of Manitoba high school-age youth smoke compared with about 26.7% nationally, said Borody. But he stressed the study doesn't prove the theory that smoking is a "gateway" drug, which leads teens to try more serious substances. That's because it's not clear in which order respondents start taking various drugs. The study is based on data from the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey, gleaned from phone interviews with 13,909 Canadians age 15 and older. http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2006/12/07/2669630-sun.html
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