18/04/2007 01:00:00
UK: 14-year-olds use cannabis daily
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Teenagers as young as 14 are using cannabis every day, according to a
study by Queen's University Belfast.
The researchers found about one in 10 cannabis-smoking teenagers they
surveyed were using the drug daily.
Dr Patrick McCrystal said cannabis use at a young age could lead to
mental illness and other problems.
"These young people are telling us that by the age of 15 they have moved
beyond experimental or recreational use of an illegal drug to more
sustained usage."
He said teenage daily cannabis users were "more likely to spend their
evenings away from the family home, have poor levels of communication
with their families, and be disaffected with school".
The researchers found that 70% of frequent users were boys, while almost
two-thirds of all the cannabis smokers belonged to the lowest
socio-economic groups.
The study further indicated high levels of delinquency and anti-social
behaviour by daily users which may have become part of their 'lifestyle
activities'.
Of daily cannabis smokers, a quarter reported being in trouble with the
police on more than 10 occasions while almost one fifth had been
summoned to court in the year prior to the survey.
Dr McCrystal said the lifestyles of high-level users "may provide
valuable insights for education and prevention strategies for the future".
He said they hoped to "more fully understand how drug use is shaped by
lifestyle, and conversely, how drug use reshapes lifestyle".
The Youth Development Study by the Queen's Institute of Child Care
Research is a long-term study of adolescent drug use.
Some 4,000 teenagers from 43 schools in Belfast, Ballymena and
Downpatrick have taken part each year since they entered secondary
education.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6566237.stm
posted by the Legalise Cannabis Alliance http://www.lca-uk.org
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12452
Author:
BBC via UKCIA
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