Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Jack Aubry, CanWest News Service Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) IT'S EASIER TO GET POT AT SCHOOL THAN CIGARETTES, TEENAGERS SAY OTTAWA -- Marijuana is perceived as easier to find 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 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 says that Canadian teens believe marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes, because messages on the health effects of cigarettes and second-hand smoke have been so successful. On the subject of marijuana, however, teens had typically only heard about the legalization of the substance or use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, not about potential health effects, the report said. It said teens in the focus groups believed marijuana smokers were unaware of the substance's adverse effects "aside from killing brain cells or making 'users' lazy." The report is being released as the federal government promises to move on legislation before the House of Commons that will decriminalize marijuana, as well as a companion bill to stop people from driving while on drugs. A poll released in November found Canadians are smoking marijuana more than ever before and that almost 30 per cent of 15- to 17-year-olds and 47 per cent of 18- and 19-year-olds had used marijuana in the last year. Prepared by Millward Brown Goldfarb, the report is based on research from 16 focus groups held earlier this year in Toronto, Montreal, Regina and Halifax. The groups were divided into three age categories - -- 10-12, 13-15 and 16-19 -- in each location, with the oldest group also being divided up between smokers and non-smokers. Paul Dufresne, a spokesman for Health Canada, said the department is following the $56,000 report's recommendation to create separate messages regarding smoking tobacco and marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin