Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Children who smoke cannabis are twice as likely to offend

Children who smoke cannabis are twice as likely to get into trouble – both in the classroom and outside the school gates.

Boys turn to vandalism, theft and fights, while girls misbehave at school, a four-year study of thousands of pupils aged between 11 and 15 found.

Young males are also up to twice as likely to have committed “delinquent” acts such as vandalism or carrying a knife.

And teenage cannabis users have double the chance of developing emotional and psychiatric problems in later life.

The finding was released as Gordon Brown comes under pressure to reverse Labour’s downgrading of cannabis.

Calling on the Government to do more to combat drug use in teenagers, researcher Laura Grant said: “Cannabis has been regarded as potentially being a gateway drug to harder drug use, leading to mental health issues, leading to memory loss or impairment and having an impact on learning and social behaviour.

“I have spoken to kids that smoke cannabis every single night, they get up and go to grammar school and get good grades.

“This really is a hidden issue that needs to be tackled.”

She added: “These young people are still attending school and are at odds with the general perception of what the typical young person is like who engages in these acts.

“It is no great leap to imagine that this school-attending high risk group may be a further risk of later life problems as a result of their early drug use: mentally, socially and emotionally.”

Miss Grant, a sociologist at Queen’s University Belfast, studied data tracking the health and habits of almost 4,000 Northern Irish schoolchildren.

By the age of 15, more than 40 per cent had tried cannabis – a five-fold increase on four years earlier, the British Psychological Society’s annual conference in Dublin heard. She added it was unclear why cannabis had different effects on boys and girls.

A fifth of those studied were judged to be at risk of developing mental health problems in later life, with cannabis users running up to double the risk of other children.

Cannabis use in British teenagers has increased tenfold in the last 20 years. By the age of 16, almost four in ten will have tired cannabis and almost one in ten is a regular user.

In 2005, 10,000 youngsters aged between 11 and 17 were treated for cannabis use.

Previous studies have shown a clear link between cannabis use in the teenage years and mental illness in later life.

It is thought that used during the developmental years, the drug may do permanent damage to the developing brain.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Housing Homeless Alcoholics Cuts Public Costs, Alcohol Use

Permanent housing for homeless patients with ongoing drinking problems can help reduce medical and social costs and lower alcohol consumption, researchers here said. In one year, the so-called “Housing First” program cut costs from about $8 million to $4 million across the study sample, Mary E. Larimer, Ph.D., of the University of Washington, and colleagues….

Reformed addict tells of his life as an alcoholic

It’s Been two years since a drop of alcohol last passed Neil Kimberlin’s lips. But despite his teetotal lifestyle the 58-year-old openly admits he is still is, and always will be, an alcoholic. At the height of his addiction Neil downed a whole litre of whisky every single day as well as drinking 14 pints….

Treatment of ADHD

After successful diagnosis of Adhd in their child, every family would like to know about the treatment of ADHD, which will be effective for their child and help him in leading a normal life. There are different methods of treatment of ADHD practiced by the physicians. Adhd can be treated with the help of medicines….

Canadians spend millions drinking just to sleep

Canadians are spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year self-medicating their insomnia with alcohol, a new study suggests. “We were very surprised to see that so many people use alcohol as a way to promote sleep, particularly because it has more detrimental than beneficial effects on sleep,” says Charles Morin, a professor of psychology….

Quaker faith helps alcoholic to quit drinking

A recovered alcoholic from Maldon said he has his Quaker faith to thank for helping him stay alive. Anthony told BBC Essex’s Ian Wyatt he started to drink when he was 20, shortly after joining the Air Force. Having had a religious upbringing as a Pentecostalist, he had never previously drank or smoked. After 25….