Cannabis is the most commonly used drug among 11 – 25 year olds. Cannabis is derived from Cannabis sativa, a plant found wild in most parts of the world and easily cultivated in Britain. Cannabis was first documented as a herbal remedy in a Chinese pharmacy text of the first century AD. It was introduced into Western medicine in the 1840s and was used for a variety of complaints. In Britain, recreational use of cannabis was first prohibited in 1928. Since the early 1970s cannabis has been one of the most widely misused illegal drugs. Some doctors believe that cannabinoids are helpful for MS sufferers, patients with chronic pain and HIV/AIDS sufferers, but the most convincing evidence comes from anecdotal reports and small trials. Cannabinoids do not represent a cure, but might relieve some pain and discomfort, particularly from muscle spasm. Other doctors believe that the cannabinoids have nothing more to offer than existing drugs.
11 things every teen should know about cannabis:
- Cannabis is illegal. Using, holding or selling it can get you convicted of a crime or expelled from school.
- It’s risky to your brain, heart and lungs.
- It reduces your ability to do things that require coordination and concentration, like sports, acting and studying.
- You are what you wear. When you wear cannabis images on t-shirts, you are sending the wrong message. In fact, you are advertising lung cancer.
- Do the right thing. Using cannabis hurts your education, family ties and social life.
- Resist peer pressure. It’s not easy at first, but once you establish yourself as a non-user, there will be less pressure as time goes on.
- You don’t need it. Contrary to what you might hear in songs or see on TV or in the movies, smoking cannabis does not make you cool.
- It’s not always what it seems. It may be laced with crack cocaine or PCP without you even knowing it.
- Talk about you problems. Using cannabis won’t help you escape your problems, it will only create more.
- Don’t believe people who say cannabis is no big deal, or that it will make your life better.
- Everybody’s not doing it. Only 8% of 12-17 year olds arte current marijuana users.
In Western countries cannabis is generally used as an aid to relaxation and a way of becoming mildly intoxicated or 'high'. Cannabis causes a number of noticeable but usually mild physical effects, including increased pulse rate and decreased blood pressure, bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite and occasional dizziness. There are no records of fatal overdose. The effects generally start a few minutes after smoking, and may last up to one hour with low doses and for two or three hours with high doses. When eaten or drunk in a tea-type drink, cannabis takes an hour or more to have an effect and the effect can last 12 hours or longer. Taking cannabis in this way gives effects which are more intense and harder to control. High doses have been known to induce coma in young people.
It is probable that frequent inhalation of cannabis smoke over a period of years can lead to bronchitis and other respiratory disorders, cancer of the lung and other parts of the upper digestive tract. It is not known whether regular cannabis smoking will cause more or less risk to health than regular tobacco smoking, although cannabis users tend to inhale more deeply, and cannabis does contain higher concentrations of potentially carcinogenic tar. There can be physical dependence on this drug. People who use cannabis regularly and heavily often come to feel a psychological need for the drug or may rely on it in order to become more sociable. There has been speculation, based on data from animal tests, that heavy, long term use cannabis of affects the production of sperm in men and can cause abnormal sperm to develop. Heavy, long term use is associated with abnormal menstruation and decreased ovulation in women.
Alcohol is found in beer, cider, lager, wine, alcopops and spirits. It is illegal to sell alcohol to under-18’s (unless they are 16 or 17 and having a meal in a restaurant). Police will very soon have legal powers to confiscate alcohol from under-18’s in public. Alcoholic drinks come in different strengths, measured as a percentage (%) by volume. The higher the percentage marked on the label, the stronger the drink will be. Alcopops, including WKD’s, Bacardi Breezer’s and Smirnoff Ice’s are the most commonly drunk alcoholic drinks among teenagers, they also contain a lot more alcohol than many beers, lager and cider.
There are many different effects of alcohol:
- Many people enjoy drinking alcohol. In small amounts it can help them to relax and feel more sociable.
- Some people use alcohol to escape from their problems.
- The effect depends on the strength of the drink and how fast it is consumed.
- It also varies according to when a person last ate, and their weight, mood and surroundings.
- Speech can become slurred, co-ordination affected and emotions heightened.
- A hangover can leave you feeling ill for a day or so afterwards.
There are many risks of alcohol too:
- Alcohol is a depressant drug. Users can end up feeling very down.
- Women get more drunk than men on the same amount of alcohol. They can also develop drink-related health problems earlier.
- Overdose (drinking far too much) can lead to loss of consciousness. Users then risk choking on their own vomit. This can kill.
- Overdose can also cause alcoholic poisoning, which can be fatal.
- Long-term over-use can lead to serious liver, heart and stomach problems.
- More than 25,000 deaths in the UK each year are alcohol-related.
- Mixing alcohol with other drugs is seriously dangerous.
Although people find it difficult to not drink when they go out with friends to club etc, there are good reasons not to.
- You’ll be able to look out for your friends and calm them down and help them if things get out of hand.
- You’re more likely not to make an idiot out of yourself.
- You’ll get home safely and remember the journey.
-
You’ll be yourself, really yourself.
Some facts about alcohol:
- Alcohol reaches the brain within five minutes of being swallowed.
- Alcohol is a depressant drug that slows down the activity of the brain.
- Eating before drinking slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the body.
- Fizzy drinks increase the speed at which alcohol is absorbed into the body.
- Young people tend to be lighter than adults. The lighter your body weight the greater the effects of alcohol.
- Underage drinking starts young, nearly 90% of boys in England have drunk alcohol by the age of 13.
- One thousand children aged under 15 are admitted to hospital each year with acute alcohol poisoning. Al of these need emergency treatment and may end up in intensive care.
- 18-24 year olds are the heaviest drinkers in the population.
- It takes the liver one hour to break down one unit of alcohol.
If you suspect that someone has a drug or alcohol problem, don’t jump to conclusions, check the symptoms. They may have sudden and regular changes of mood and may be unusually aggressive. They may have a loss of appetite and a gradual loss of interest in school, hobbies, sport, friends etc. They may be uncharacteristically drowsy or sleepy. There may be a loss of money or other objects from the house and there may be unusual stains, marks or smells on the body or clothes, or around the house.
If you know somebody that has started drinking a lot of alcohol, and you are worried about them, then some advice would be:
- Encourage them to stick to lower strength brands and not to drink too quickly. Explain the dangers of spiking someone else’s drink.
- Try not to over-react if this person drinks against your wishes or drinks too much. Just explain how you feel and encourage them to talk about why it happened.
- Provide starchy foods like pasta, bread and rice that may help line their stomachs before drinking.
- Make sure you are there to help them.
