Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2005 Calgary Herald Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 Author: CanWest News Service Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) KIDS GET POT EASIER THAN SMOKES: STUDY Marijuana is perceived as easier to access than cigarettes on Canadian school grounds, a newly released government report on teenagers shows. Commissioned by Health Canada, the report was prepared for the department's effort in developing coping and refusal skills among teenagers. It said the easier access to marijuana is ironically due to the legal age limit for smoking cigarettes and the fact that you have to buy cigarettes through traditional outlets, such as corner stores. Based on focus groups held across the country, it also states that marijuana is perceived among Canadian teens to be less harmful to those who use it, compared to cigarettes, because of the effective messages that participants have been exposed to on the health effects of cigarettes and second-hand smoke relative to those of marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake