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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Kids 'Confused' About Drugs
Sky News
Thursday 05 Sep 2002 Primary schoolchildren are increasingly confused about drugs with many believing that cannabis is legal and a type of medicine, according to a new survey.Almost two-thirds of teachers surveyed by health education specialists said the proposed reclassification of cannabis could encourage young children to experiment with the drug and make prevention more difficult.The charity, Life Education Centres surveyed 56 of its specialist teachers who promote drugs awareness across 2,000 primary schools in the UK. 'Dangers' The majority of teachers (88%) reported changes in children's perceptions of drugs. Some 86% reported that youngsters thought cannabis was legal and 79% said children believed it was a type of medicine. Stephen Burgess, national director of Life Education Centres, said: "The very public debate about cannabis, coupled with proposals to reclassify the drug, appear to have confused many children about the real dangers." He said those involved with health education must "redouble our efforts" to ensure children are fully aware of the dangers. 'Worrying' In the survey, 79% of teachers said children believed cannabis was safe to use and 73% claimed children thought it was less harmful to health than cigarette smoking. Chairman of health charity The Doctor Patient Partnership, Dr Simon Fradd, said: "The findings are obviously worrying. "Children are exposed to all kinds of messages about health and drugs through the media, films and the Internet as well as the playground. "It is important they have the skills, confidence and knowledge to filter this information correctly." Teachers from Life Education Centres visit schools around the country and use group discussions and role play to encourage children to make healthy choices.
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