Pubdate: Mon, 01 Oct 2007 Source: Gisborne Herald (New Zealand) Copyright: 2007 The Gisborne Herald Co. Ltd Contact: http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/home.htm Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/924 Author: Clare Webber CANNABIS USE ENTRENCHED ACROSS GENERATIONS HERE GISBORNE might be the first city to see the light, but for many Gisborne families that light is greatly dimmed by excessive use of cannabis. Demotivated and depressed, many long-term cannabis users have markedly reduced potential for creating the full and active life they might otherwise have, says Kaiti Medical Centre GP Johan Peters. There is growing evidence of a link between cannabis use and mental illness, such as schizophrenia. While a causal relationship has not been established, it is suggested people with a predisposition to certain mental illnesses risk worsening their condition if they use cannabis. This research is backed up by statistics from Tairawhiti District Health's (TDH) Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Addiction Service. The most recent figures, from July 2006 to May 2007, indicate 73 percent of the 137 referred to Awhina House for addiction and mental health services were diagnosed with cannabis-related mental illness. A large percentage of them were Maori and male, service manager Dianne Irwin says. However, there is also an identifiable group of women in their late 30s with moderate to severe depression who have been long-term cannabis users, she says. "For people who use our service, somewhere along the line cannabis use has occurred. It may not be the main instigator, but it is definitely there." Mental health and addiction service workers are in no doubt cannabis use is right up there with nicotine and alcohol, and is well established in our region. Gisborne police say the region is consistently one of three top producing areas of cannabis in the country, alongside Northland and Waikato. "Cannabis is 'the' problem in terms of drugs in this region," says Detective Eric Hunter. Cannabis use is so entrenched here, that it is not uncommon for three or four generations of a family to be heavy users. Nor is it uncommon for children to witness its use and subsequent demotivated behaviours of their parents, but also to join in and, taking it one step further, distribute the drug at school, say detectives. "Just recently we went to a house in Wairoa to take six kids from a family and, when we arrived, the 11-year-old was smoking marijuana -- while mum was home," Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Scott says. In some families, especially in rural areas, children have no other role models apart from drug users -- people with no motivation and who are often long-term beneficiaries with no job, he says. "A lot of kids see their family members using marijuana and get the message it is no big deal. But we see the end result and it is a big deal, for both users and their families . . . a really big deal," Mr Scott says. TDH addiction services medical officer Patrick McHugh calls the drug a cancer in our society. "But we are ambivalent towards it, we do not seem to know how bad this cancer is. "Society needs first to agree we have this major dysfunction happening. We might not agree on treatment, but we first need to acknowledge the problem." While more "glamorous" drugs -- drugs with more obvious dangers and exciting headlines, such as methamphetamines -- are talked about as a scourge in our society, cannabis use gets a "bit of a blind eye", says Dr McHugh. "There is a feeling people are easier to deal with when they are using cannabis, so it is tolerated or ignored," he says. "Also, because it is used commonly across all populations, including professional people who do not see it as a problem for themselves, there is a degree of resistance to doing anything about it. "The problem comes where it is used regularly and heavily." Some New Zealand researchers define heavy use as using 10 times or more in a 30-day period. TDH Maori Health manager Maaka Tibble believes the damage caused by long-term heavy cannabis use extends right across all aspects of our community. "The mental health of individuals is just one area that is impacted on. "Family violence, family disconnection, child abuse and erratic behaviours leading to dysfunction and incoherency are some of the issues manifested through drug taking and substance abuse," he says. This sentiment is echoed by the police, who say violence, stand-overs, drug-debts and organised crime are par for the course in a community too reliant on drugs. "It is extremely rare for us to execute a search warrant on a property and not come across cannabis or utensils in that search," Mr Scott says. Working at the coalface of community health issues, Dr Peters says heavy cannabis use often correlates with poor education and unemployment, and families who smoke cannabis will produce children who smoke cannabis. "We are a community that often condones cannabis use and has come to accept it, despite other drugs -- notably tobacco -- becoming more and more unacceptable," Dr Peters says. Statistics indicate cannabis use is on a par with tobacco, says TDH addiction services unit manager Nigal McRoberts. About 46 percent of adult males smoke cannabis and 48 percent nicotine. "Smoking and alcohol messages are out there, which is fantastic, but we cannot say the same for cannabis yet." An advertising campaign similar in size and scope to that of the anti-smoking campaign would go a long way, says Ms Irwin. "The smoke-free campaign has a huge positive influence on children -- who are now coming home from school and talking to their parents about smoking and the damage it does, so that education seems to be working. Likewise Mr McRoberts says education is the key to changing the pattern of abuse in our region. "A lot of children have no real idea about the negative effects of cannabis, so we need to get them on board early." Whanau is also critical in changing the status quo, Mr Tibble says. "The leadership within Maoridom has contributed little. "Koroua, kuia, church leaders, iwi and hapu leaders appear, in the main, silent about this issue. "Perhaps some of them have grown up as substance abusers themselves, and as a consequence do not see the problem or are hiding their guilt and embarrassment. Whatever the reason, the silence needs to be broken, Mr Tibble says. "We need these Maori leaders to lead out and stop substance abuse as being the norm. "TDH and other health providers are working hard to improve health among Maori of Tairawhiti but we cannot do it on our own." Indeed, cannabis use in Tairawhiti might be about to bring about a whole new set of problems. "It is becoming more and more common for cannabis and methamphetamines to be sold at the same place -- leading to a whole new dimension of the problem," Mr Hunter says. "If you can get both in the same place, people are more likely to try methamphetamines and dealers know that. "They do not care who they sell to -- kids or solo mums who cannot afford it. All they care about is the money." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek