Pubdate: Sun, 06 Apr 2003
Source: Sunday Tasmanian (Australia)
Contact:  2003 Sunday Tasmanian
Website: http://www.sundaytasmanian.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/815
Author: Jessica Lawrence
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/australia

TEENAGERS ADDICTED TO POT

ANTI-drug campaigners say new research, showing that one in three teenagers
who smokes cannabis weekly becomes hooked by the early 20s, proves that it
should not be treated as a "soft" drug.

The shocking study found teens who used cannabis every week were at high
risk of addiction, with males more likely to develop a long-term habit. 

Experts say use of the drug in Australia is rising, with almost two-thirds
of 21-year-olds claiming to have tried it. 

Researchers from the Centre for Adolescent Health in Victoria interviewed
secondary students at six-month intervals between 1992 and 1995 about drug
and alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, anti-social behaviour and mental
health. 

They were then interviewed three years later when aged 20 and 21, with
one-third of cannabis users admitting they were hooked. 

"The message here is that cannabis is not as harmless as we had thought
earlier," researcher Carolyn Coffey said. 

"People may start with just occasional use and then make the transition to
weekly use. 

"Our research shows that by the time the subjects were 21 years old,
two-thirds had tried cannabis, and that's pretty high. 

"I think people are perceiving it as a normal thing to do and people are
more accepting of it," Ms Coffey said. 

Drug Arm spokesman Michael Watts warned that teenagers who smoked cannabis
were also at risk of having a "psychotic episode". 

He said the research destroyed the myth that cannabis was a "soft drug". 

"Over a period of time, cannabis, particularly because of the way it is
grown, has increased in its dependency factor, and when people try to stop
using it they will experience withdrawal symptoms," Mr Watts said. 

A former user known only as Brad, 23, told The Sunday Mail he had smoked
cannabis from the age of 13 before finally quitting two years ago. He said
people who did not believe cannabis was addictive "will only learn for
themselves". 

"A lot of people think cannabis is a soft drug, but once you go through
rehab, you realise it isn't," he said. 

Brad said smoking cannabis left him paranoid, breathless and unable to
concentrate. He also experienced weight gain. 

When he tried to quit, he couldn't sleep, was nauseous and full of anxiety.
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