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UK: Cannabis use rises sharply among teenagers

Ananova

Sunday 24 Nov 2002

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Increasing numbers of teenagers are using cannabis, a survey shows.

The proportion of 14 and 15-year-old males who say they have tried cannabis
jumped from 19% in 1999 to 29% in 2001.

And the proportion of teenage girls who say they've smoked the drug rose
from 18% to 25% over the same time period.

The research by the Schools Health Education Unit found that cannabis is
the only illegal drug not considered to be "always unsafe" by older children.

Research published this week suggested people who smoke it before they are
15 are 11 times more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life.

And scientists have said that one cannabis cigarette contains the same
amount of cancer-causing chemicals as five containing tobacco.

Cannabis is being downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug, which will
mean that being caught in possession by police will not automatically lead
to arrest.

The SHEU questioned 15,881 at 334 primary and secondary schools around the
UK on a range of social, health and education issues.

SHEU director Dr David Regis said sounded a "health warning" about the
drugs figures, saying the schools chosen for the survey changed from year
to year, and the rises could be attributable partly to that.

"Whether this is a general trend or just something about the schools we are
using isn't clear from this data," he explained.

 

 

 

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