Pubdate: Sun, 07 Dec 2014
Source: Mail on Sunday, The (UK)
Copyright: 2014 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/255
Author: Jonathan Petre
Page: 47

HUGE RISE IN SKUNK-TRIGGERED ILLNESS

YOUNG people are being treated in record numbers for mental health 
problems which have been caused by cannabis.

Official figures show more than 5,000 under-25s were treated for 
addiction and psychiatric problems with the drug over the past year.

Experts believe the rise has been caused by new strains of cannabis - 
known as skunk - which are more potent than those grown in the past.

And they say the alarming figures might have been even worse were it 
not for the overall numbers of cannabis users falling.

Just 15 per cent of 16- to 24-yearolds smoked the drug last year, 
down from a peak of 28 per cent in 1998. The figures from Public 
Health England show 5,039 youngsters aged 18 to 24 started treatment 
for problems connected with cannabis last year - a rise of 51 per 
cent on the 3,328 who sought help eight years ago.

The statistics also reveal that 43 per cent of under-25s entering 
drug treatment programmes sought help for cannabis use, compared with 
just 18 per cent eight years ago.

At the same time, youngsters being helped for heroin addiction has 
fallen from 40 per cent to 16 per cent, and for heroin and crack from 
21 per cent to 11 per cent.

Addiction experts say the cannabis figures can be traced to powerful 
new strains of the drug entering the market. In the past, it would 
have been grown in basement conditions under normal lights.

But growers are now engineering strains using much more powerful 
lighting, with some cannabis having up to 24 per cent levels of 
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its primary psychoactive compound.

Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, a specialist in addictions based at the Priory 
Hospital in Roehampton, South-West London, said: 'The number of 
under-25s entering treatment for cannabis is rising.

'Compared to a few decades ago, the cannabis being sold is generally 
considerably more potent, with higher concentrations of the 
psychoactive chemicals.

'We are also seeing the use of synthetic cannabinoids, some of which 
appear to be much stronger than even the strongest herbal cannabis.

'Anecdotal evidence suggests the synthetics can cause more physical 
and psychiatric problems.'
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom