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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl