Subj: UK: Britain tops Europe poll on drug use



Date: 24 Jan, 2000



Source: Daily Record (UK)





BRITAIN TOPS EUROPE POLL ON DRUG USE



BRITAIN is the dope- smoking capital of Europe with one in

10 adults using cannabis in the past year, it was revealed

yesterday.



Research by the EU's drugs monitoring agency also found

drug-taking among youngsters is more common in Scotland than

in England.



In a survey of 5000 children, 19 per cent of boys and 16 per

cent of girls aged 11 to 15 had taken drugs in Scotland.



Around half of 16-year-olds had tried cannabis.



But the figures were a third lower south of the Border.



Recent surveys show a third of the population feel cannabis

should be decriminalised.