New and more harmful strains of cannabis could be responsible for the growing number of teenagers needing specialist help after using the drug, The Daily Telegraph reported today.
The story comes from a new report on substance misuse among young people. The good news is that the study found that, overall, the number of those under 18 seeking specialist help for drugs and alcohol has fallen over the past year. As reported in www.halifaxcourier.co.uk.
The potentially bad news is that the number needing help for cannabis misuse has risen.
The researchers offer several theories about why this may be the case, including that:
- the increasing use of a potent type of herbal cannabis (skunk) may lead to a corresponding increase in mental health problems related to cannabis use
- there is wider awareness of the health problems associated with cannabis use, so young people with problems are more likely to be referred to specialist services
The report has been published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), an NHS special health authority. The NTA was set up to improve the availability and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England.
The report points out that a very small percentage of young people have serious problems with drugs or alcohol. This year’s data show that 20,688 young people used specialist alcohol or drug services – which amounts to 0.4% of the total population of around 5.5 million young people aged 9-17 in England.
The report also highlights the fact that, overall, the number of under-18s needing help for drug or alcohol use has fallen for the third year running and the number treated for problems with class A drugs, such as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy has reduced by more than two-thirds compared with five years ago.
These are encouraging figures that suggest that drug use prevention strategies for young people appear to be increasingly effective.
What are the health risks of cannabis use?
Prolonged cannabis use can affect both physical and mental health, and may cause:
- feelings of anxiety and paranoia
- an increased risk of lung disease, including lung cancer (if you smoke cannabis mixed with tobacco)
- co-ordination problems, which is one of the reasons why drug driving, like drink driving, is illegal
There is some evidence that cannabis can increase the risk of serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or psychosis, if you already have an increased risk of developing such a condition (for example, if a close relative has a serious mental illness).
What does the report say?
The report found that:
- The overall number of under-18s accessing specialist substance misuse services has fallen from 21,955 in 2010-11 to 20,688 in 2011-12.
- The number treated for problems with class A drugs, such as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy, fell from 770 in 2010-11 to 631 in 2011-12.
- The number seeing specialist services for alcohol misuse fell from 7,054 in 2010-11 to 5,884 in 2011-12.
- The proportion of under-18s who left specialist services having successfully completed their programme rose to 77% in 2011-12 from 50% five years ago.
- The number of cases seen by specialist services for help with cannabis misuse was up from 12,784 in 2010-11 to 13,200 this year.
Are these figures part of a significant trend?
Yes. The drop in the number of under-18s accessing specialist services for substance misuse is the latest step in a trend that began in 2008-9, when the number hit a peak of 24,053. It has been declining steadily ever since. This ongoing fall in numbers has happened across misuse of most substances. For example, the number accessing help for alcohol misuse has fallen from a peak of 8,799 in 2008-9, while the number seeking help for class A drugs has also fallen. The increase in those seeking help for cannabis use is also part of a trend.
Cannabis remains by far the most prevalent primary drug used by under-18s, says the report. In 2008-9 there were 12,642 cases and this number has increased every year since.
While not discussed in the report, the popularity of cannabis with young people could be due to cost and availability. In most areas of the country cannabis is much cheaper than class A drugs such as cocaine.