By Lisa Van de Ven
While short-term social effects might have cigarette smoking on the decline among youth, many are turning to something else instead: cannabis. Pot is now more commonly used among teenagers than tobacco, Clark says, with about 25 to 40 per cent of teenagers, depending on their age, using it. Compare that to Ecstasy, another popular drug among teens, but one that is used by only three to six per cent of Canada’s youth population. “Cannabis is not seen by youth to be as risky as other substances,” Clark says. “It seems to be a more natural substance, one that’s grown, so they don’t perceive it as having the same risks as, say, a chemical substance.”
The long-term effects of pot smoking are only now beginning to be known, and according to Clark, many are similar to those of cigarette smoking, with impacts on chronic disease and respiratory illness. It’s believed that cannabis can also be particularly dangerous to youth who are at risk for mental illness. “It can act as an accelerant for mental health conditions,” Clark says. “So if somebody is a little bit more at risk for mental illness, cannabis can really bring that out.”
Follow the links for more on the topic...
Teen smoking
Heavy drinking
HOW TO QUIT
Looking for help to quit smoking, drinking or drugs? Here’s where to go:
Kids Help Phone
www.kidshelpphone.ca
1-800-668-6868
Quit 4 Life
www.quit4life.com
Alberta Health Services
www.aadac.com
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
www.camh.net
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
www.ccsa.ca
