Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jun 2005
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact:  http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187
Author: Geoff Wilkinson

POLICE WARN OF SUPER DOPE

CHILDREN as young as 12 are among cannabis users facing increased risks from
more potent, hydroponically grown plants, police have warned.

The head of the Victoria Police drug and alcohol strategy unit, Inspector
Steve James, said the changing nature of cannabis use meant young users were
"smoking stronger stuff for a much longer period".

Insp James said it was common for children to start smoking cannabis from
between 12 and 15.

"People used to smoke later in life. Now we're finding people are using much
younger. And if they're using younger, and for a longer period, that is a
concern from a health perspective."

He said the terms Blue Tuesday or Suicide Tuesday had been coined to
describe the risk of heavy weekend users becoming depressed to the point of
becoming suicidal.

Latest national research on drug use by young people found that more than 25
per cent of teenagers had tried cannabis. An expert in youth mental health
said some teenagers were smoking cannabis "from dawn to dusk".

Prof Patrick McGorry, the director of Origin Youth Health, said 70 per cent
of the 2000 young people the service saw each year were regular cannabis
users. Many tried to self-medicate with drugs after developing problems such
as depression, anxiety or schizophrenia.

"Cannabis can relieve anxiety, but it can worsen depression and it can
certainly bring on psychosis in vulnerable people," Prof McGorry said.

"It's been calculated that about 10 per cent of the psychosis that we see is
attributable to cannabis."

There was no doubt cannabis was now stronger and more easily available.

The peak users were 18 to 24-year-olds who had left school and were bored,
unemployed and had few prospects.

"They just get into this spiral where their whole lives revolve around
cannabis use," Prof McGorry said.

"We see these kids who come into the service and they're smoking from dawn
to dusk basically, even taking their bongs into the toilets with them.

"This whole area of mental health and substance abuse in young people in
this age group is a huge public health problem which the Government has
really not looked at properly."

The Herald Sun reported last week that organised crime syndicates had moved
into the booming hydroponic cannabis business.

Police said cloned plants with high levels of the psychotropic ingredient
THC were yielding 450g of potent cannabis per plant.
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