31 August 2004
Educate Teens On Dangers Of Cannabis Use
New Zealand First youth affairs spokesperson Craig McNair is calling for more effective education strategies to ensure
that teenagers are aware of the long-term health effects of heavy cannabis use.
A new report identifies a strong link between cannabis use and mental illness in a study of teenagers at the mental
health unit in Christchurch.
“The study showed that most of the 62 patients suffering from severe psychiatric illnesses were cannabis users,” said
Mr McNair.
“It is becoming more and more evident that the long term physical, social and psychological effects of using cannabis
are greater than many young people assume or care to acknowledge.
“Youth are being fed the message that cannabis is a harmless drug. Calls to decriminalise cannabis only push this
misleading message further with the argument that because it’s out there, available, and apparently the drug of choice
for many otherwise ‘normal’ people, it shouldn’t be a criminal offence.
“Teenagers need to be aware of the harmful effects of this drug, and hopefully it will make them think twice before
they smoke cannabis,” said Mr McNair.
ENDS