cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Still Europe's Favorite Illegal Drug





Cannabis Still Europe's Favorite Illegal Drug
Posted by FoM on November 20, 2001 at 13:58:34 PT
By Martin Roberts
Source: Reuters
Cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the European Union, with at least one in 10 adults in the 15-nation group having used it, according to a report published on Tuesday.The Lisbon-based European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) said in its annual report for 2001 that use of amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin was far less common than that of cannabis. However, heroin accounted for a high level of health, legal and social problems.
The EMCDDA said the proportion of adults who had used cannabis ranged from 10% in Finland to 20% to 25% in Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.Between 1% and 9% of EU adults have used cannabis in the past 12 months, the report added.Cannabis was also the most common drug used by EU schoolchildren. The number of 15- to 16-year-olds having tried it at some time ranged from 8% in Sweden and Portugal to 35% in France and the UK.The injecting of drugs and long-term use seemed to be highest in Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and the UK, at between five and eight users per 1,000 adults, the report said. These types of drug use were least common in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, at two to three per 1,000.EMCDDA said many local factors determined such use, and the impact of either tough or liberal drug laws was not clear.``However, comprehensive national drug policies are of high importance in reducing the adverse consequences of problem drug use, such as HIV infection, hepatitis B and C and deaths from overdose,'' the report said.The level of HIV infection appeared to have stabilized in most EU countries since the mid-1990s. But rates varied widely between countries, and preliminary data showed infection might be increasing among some intravenous drug users.New users of cannabis and cocaine seeking treatment were on the rise in most EU countries, while those new to heroin were decreasing.Many EU trends found an echo in central and eastern European countries, such as an increasing percentage of people, especially schoolchildren, who had used illegal drugs at some time.The EMCDDA said candidate countries for EU membership had adequate drug polices. However, ``overall capacities to implement the adopted measures effectively, as well as the resources allocated, remain limited.'' Source: ReutersAuthor: Martin RobertsPublished: Tuesday, November 20, 2001Copyright: 2001 ReutersCannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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