Pubdate: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK) Copyright: 2004 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd. Contact: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/42 Author: Sarah Brett Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom) NORTH WEST 'HAS LARGE CANNABIS PROBLEM' ALMOST 200 people in the North West sought help from drugs groups for cannabis-related problems last year, it can be revealed today. After alcohol, cannabis is by far the most widely used drug in the region, with the Western Health Board clocking up significantly higher numbers of people seeking treatment than any other board in the province. Doctors on the front line of drug misuse in the region and the head of Londonderry's drugs squad today agreed that cannabis remains their main priority. A staggering 189 people voluntarily accessed support from groups in the board area last year, as well as scores of referrals. Dr Dominic Connelly, from a local community addiction team, commented: "There is heavy, heavy cannabis use and dependency on very large quantities of the drug. "It a very real and very large problem. There are a lot of people seeking help, frequently for psychological problems associated with heavy use. Other boards have fairly high numbers, but overall they are small number compared to the cannabis problem in the North West." Dr Connelly said the situation is exacerbated by people using the drug with large quantities of alcohol and ecstasy. "Almost all the people engaging in heavy cannabis use are also using very high quantities of alcohol and often ecstasy as well. "The alcohol problem by itself would dwarf cannabis use. The biggest worry here is that if you have a big drug using population and culture, there is always the danger that it will shift into more hazardous drug use." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake