Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jan 2004
Source: Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2004 The Herald
Contact:  http://www.theherald.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/189
Author: Lorna Martin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DANGERS OF CANNABIS: HOW TO SPEAK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT IT

THE smell was unmistakable. As Patrick Matthews approached his front door,
there was no doubt about what his 16-year-old son and his friends, who had
not been expecting him back so soon, were doing to pass the time. When
Matthews, a journalist and author of Cannabis Culture, made his presence
known, his son held out the joint to him with a courteous nod.

"It was a classic liberal parent's dilemma," says Matthews. "Do you make a
row, express silent disapproval or take a friendly toke?"

Matthews admits that he is someone who would consider the last option,
making the problem of how to tell your children not to smoke dope slightly
more difficult.

"I try to discourage them from smoking weed in the same way that I try to
discourage them from smoking cigarettes and drinking. But I try to do it in
an informed way and tell them of course cannabis is dangerous. But cars and
bicycles are dangerous, many sports are dangerous, family life is dangerous
and alcoholic drinks certainly are."

He is critical of the media for dealing with cannabis as a social, health o
r
criminal issue while considering wine and other alcoholic drinks as
"aspirational lifestyle subjects".

"Both cannabis and alcohol have health benefits as well as risks," he adds.
"The most significant difference is that alcohol, unlike cannabis, has
historically been part of the culture which now dominates the world.

And while cannabis and alcohol have very different kinds of effects
culturally they're second cousins."

Matthews is clearly not in favour of protecting his children with threats
and scare stories =96 an approach which appears to work in Sweden, which has
repressive policies and the lowest rates of cannabis use by young people in
Europe. Instead, he tries to pass on his belief that the problems of drugs
relate mainly to their misuse rather than their innate harmfulness.

With the latest research revealing strong links between cannabis use and
mental health problems, however, psychiatrists are urging parents to make
sure their children do not misinterpret the government's reclassification o
f
the drug as a sign that it is safe.

Dr Zerrin Atakan, of the National Psychosis Unit, who has carried out
research in the field, says parents of school-age children should be
worried, especially if they are living in an area where cannabis is widely
and easily available.

"Our concern is that the reclassification is sending out a mixed message:
people may think it's now safe to smoke cannabis. The government has just
launched a big publicity campaign informing the public of the dangers but
this should have happened long before the drug was reclassified. It's a bit
late to do it one week before reclassification.

"I think education should start from primary school and it has to be quite
interactive. If you go in heavy-handed, children will switch off. What we
are particularly worried about is the effect of cannabis on young brains
that are not fully developed. I think this is what parents should stress.
The brain is quite a scary organ and children should be told that cannabis
can cause damage to their brains."

Most of the research has found that the drug seems to have the most adverse
effects on those with a genetic predisposition to psychosis. But Dr Atakan
warns that a person could be predisposed without being aware of it.

"The danger is a person may not know whether they are vulnerable or not.
It's not written on your forehead."

*For comprehensive information on cannabis, Dr Atakan suggests parents and
teenagers refer to the website for the National Institute of Drug Abuse at
www.nida.nih.gov

*Cannabis Culture by Patrick Matthews is published by Bloomsbury.
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