Scottish teen boys worst for smoking cannabis
2 min read
Nearly a quarter of Scottish 15-year-old boys tried cannabis
AN ADDICTION specialist has suggested that WHO report findings opens up questions about the legalisation of cannabis.
The report assessed the use of substances and amongst its findings was that Scottish 15-year-old boys had the highest rate for smoking cannabis
The report found that nearly a quarter of the group had tried the Class B substance coming one percentage point ahead of Poland
Dr Phil Dalgarno, a mental health lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University specialising in the effects of psychoactive substances believes that the only constructive route to moderating the drug and making harder to get it – is legalisation.
Dr. Dalgarno said: “What we should be talking about properly, is the legalisation of cannabis.
“It provides a legal structure where there currently isn’t one.
“So you can put law where there aren’t and at the moment anybody who has got cash can buy weed if they know where to go”
The report also found that a historical gender divergence between boys and girls using substances is no longer prevalent with, a rise in teenage girls using alcohol and vaping.
The UK as a whole was found to have had a more significant problem in underage vaping than the rest of the participating countries, with the report noting a that teenagers were switching from cigarettes.
According to figures from ASH Scotland, teenagers that vape are three times more likely to take up smoking with CEO, Shelia Duffy saying that more needs to be done to address the prevalence of vaping.
Duffy said: “The Scottish Government needs to grasp that metal and run with it.
“It needs to lay the regulations, it needs to close down the marketing and promotions of e-cigarettes, because these products are highly addictive and they affect developing and brains.”
