Pubdate: Thu, 25 Nov 2004
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2004
Contact:  http://www.scotsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406
Author: David Barrett
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

MORE UK CHILDREN HAVE TRIED CANNABIS

More schoolchildren in England have experimented with cannabis than in any 
other country in Europe, a report said today.

News of the extent of pot-smoking among UK teens came on the day ministers 
unveiled new measures to crack down on dealers who sell drugs near schools.

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) also 
said the UK had the joint highest number of cocaine users, alongside Spain.

Between 5% and 7% of people aged 15 to 24 in the UK and Spain admitted to 
using cocaine recently, it said.

The report by the Lisbon-based agency estimated up to three million people 
in the EU use marijuana on a daily basis.

EMCDDA director Georges Estievenart said: "We have established that regular 
cannabis use is rising."

The study said 42% of boys and 38% of girls aged 15 in England had tried 
cannabis, compared with less than 10% in Greece, Malta, Sweden and Norway.

England also had the highest number of 15-year-olds who were heavy dope 
users - defined as using the drug on 40 or more occasions a year.

Just over 10% of 15-year-old English boys reported heavy use of cannabis, 
compared with the next-biggest group of about 7% in Spain and Belgium.

Figures for Welsh and Scottish boys were lower than in England - about 5% 
and 6.6% respectively.

On cannabis trends in the EU, the report said: "There is concern that a 
small but significant group, of predominantly young men, are now using the 
drug more intensively and that numbers of those doing so may be growing.

"The EMCDDA offers a crude estimate that there may be up to three million 
daily cannabis users across the EU."

Home Secretary David Blunkett announced that drug dealers caught near 
schools will face harsher sentences.

Judges will be able to treat being arrested near a school - or using 
children as couriers - as an aggravating factor when they sentence drug 
dealers.

A new Drugs Bill will also allow courts to assume that anyone caught with 
more drugs than they would need for their own personal use is a dealer, 
thus facing tougher penalties.

Mr Blunkett also said there will be a major three-month campaign to close 
crack houses and drug dens in towns and cities across England and Wales 
from January, which will also target firearms.

Other shock figures in the study of the drug situation in the 25 EU member 
states included:

The number of mentions of cocaine on death certificates in the UK increased 
eightfold between 1993 and 2001;

Cannabis use among the 15 to 34 age group is highest - more than 35% - in 
the UK, Denmark, Spain and France;

The UK is among the top five countries for "problem drug users", reporting 
six to 10 cases for every 1,000 adults, along with Denmark, Italy, 
Luxembourg and Portugal;

After heroin, cannabis is the drug for which the largest number of people 
seek treatment.

On the chemicals used by drug dealers to adulterate their products, the 
report added: "There are new concerns that 'cutting agents' used in 
preparing cocaine can pose added health risks.

"One example is phenacetine - a relatively common adulterant in cocaine 
powder - which has been linked to cancer and disorder of the liver, kidneys 
and blood."

Home Office minister Caroline Flint said: "This report is based on 
two-year-old data and does not reflect current levels of drug misuse in the UK.

"More recent trends have seen a steady fall in the use of cannabis, 
amphetamines and, more recently, ecstasy.

"The British Crime Survey shows that amphetamine use by 16- to 24-year-olds 
has fallen by 60% in the last five years, cannabis use has declined from 
28.2% in 1998 to 24.8% today and crack and cocaine use has stabilised."

Mr Blunkett also announced today that the Government's Drug Interventions 
Programme will be extended to 32 new areas from April.

The scheme forces anyone charged with a range of crimes normally associated 
with drugs, such as theft, to undergo tests for Class A drugs such as 
heroin and crack, and offers them voluntary treatment if the tests are 
positive.

Under the new Bill this scheme will be made tougher so offenders are 
drug-tested on arrest rather than charge and, if positive, forced to 
undergo drug assessment, said Mr Blunkett.

One new measure to go ahead immediately in five pilot areas - Manchester, 
Calderdale, Newham in London, Bradford and Middlesbrough - will see young 
offenders forced to undergo drug treatment as part of community sentences.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "These are 
constructive proposals, but with no date for a Bill they could fall by the 
wayside before the elections."
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