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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Joints creating 'health timebomb'
Stephanie Todd Edinburgh Evening News
Thursday 08 May 2003 EXPERTS are to tell a major conference in Edinburgh how the effects of smoking cannabis with tobacco are creating a "health timebomb" for Scotland's young people. The growing problem of cannabis use among teenagers is to come under the spotlight at the event in Easter Road football stadium tomorrow, when speakers will say more needs to be done to encourage users to kick the habit. "Tobacco is still the single most significant threat to Scottish young people's long-term health" Latest figures have revealed that nearly a third of Scottish teenagers have smoked cannabis in the last 12 months. In the UK there are an estimated 3.2 million smokers of cannabis, which may cause chronic lung disease. Health campaigners have described the effects of smoking cannabis among young people as a 'health timebomb' whose effects will not be clear for many years to come. Speakers at the conference, organised by the Scottish Tobacco Control Alliance, including health board officials, university professors and doctors will debate a range of topics - from successful initiatives helping young people to quit through to the policies that politicians can implement to discourage tobacco use and the issues arising from young people using both cannabis and tobacco together. STCA chairman Brian Pringle said the fight against tobacco had to be extended to cover those smoking cannabis as well. "Tobacco is still the single most significant threat to Scottish young people's long-term health, and this is a vital opportunity to make sure that people throughout Scotland work together to make sure that this threat is addressed. "It's clear that many young people are using cannabis and tobacco together - in fact, nearly a third of Scottish teenagers smoked cannabis in the last year - so we need to make sure that we take that into account when giving information on quitting." Professor Gerard Hastings, of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research, at Strathclyde University, will chair the conference. He emphasised the importance of Scotland challenging the power of the tobacco multinationals . "It's absolutely vital that Scotland adopts the most effective strategies to stop the tobacco companies in their tracks" "Our young people remain the primary target for the tobacco companies who are prepared to spend millions to protect their profits," he said. "They need to recruit 26,000 new smokers each year in Scotland alone to replace those who die or quit. "The recent ban on tobacco advertising was a great start, but there's still lots more we can and should do. "Smoke-free workplaces and restricting smoking in public places have been proved to reduce young people's smoking rates. "Today's young smokers will be the sick adults of the future, so it's absolutely vital that Scotland adopts the most effective strategies to stop the tobacco companies in their tracks." The one-day conference - Tobacco and Youth: towards a smoke-free Generation - is taking place tomorrow at Hibernian Stadium, Easter Road, from 9am until 4.30pm.
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