Pubdate: Sun, 02 Oct 2005
Source: Sunday Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2260
Author: Jane Hamilton
Cited: Crew 2000 http://www.crew2000.co.uk/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

SEVEN IN 10 SCOTS TEENS TRY DOPE

SEVEN out of ten 14-year-olds have tried cannabis at least
once.

Research by drug workers has also revealed half of all teenagers claim
they are regular users of the drug.

Drug support groups including Crew 2000, Streetworks and the Edinburgh
Drug and Alcohol Project were involved in the research exposing the
widespread availability of hash.

One source involved in the research said: "Teenagers don't see it as
being a drug partly due to the debate about its medicinal qualities
and the relaxation of cannabis laws. Seventy per cent of youngsters
have tried it at least once."

Tom Wood, chairman of Edinburgh's Drug and Alcohol Action Team and
former deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders police, said:
"It's a very worrying figure but it confirms our information that use
of cannabis is widespread among teenagers."

"One of the problems is that many young people don't see cannabis as a
dangerous drug. We have a lot of work to do."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake