Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jan 2005
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)

Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Jack Aubry, Ottawa Citizen
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

POT EASIER TO GET THAN CIGARETTES, STUDENTS SAY

OTTAWA -- 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. "Participants generally 
felt that the only exposure they had received on issues dealing with 
marijuana were communications on the legalization of the substance or the 
use of marijuana for medicinal purposes," said the report.

It said the teens in the focus groups had a genuine sense that those who 
were marijuana smokers do not know the adverse effects of the substance 
"aside from killing brain cells or making 'users' lazy" and do not 
understand the health reasons why they should stop smoking it.

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 that will 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.
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