CHARITY DEMANDS DRUG WARNING ON CIGARETTE PAPERS

CIGARETTE papers should carry printed warnings about the dangers of
cannabis, a mental health charity has urged.

Rethink say there is growing evidence the health risks associated
with cannabis use means warnings similiar to those on tobacco
products are necessary.

And they criticise manufacturers such as Imperial Tobacco, maker of
UK best-sellers Rizla, for producing king-sized papers more suitable
for cannabis consumption than tobacco.

The charity said: "Manufacturers should take responsibility for
warning consumers of the dangers of cannabis use.

"Rethink believes that following the impact of tobacco warnings on
cigarette packets, rolling paper packets should carry warnings about
the mental health effects of cannabis."

A spokesman for Imperial Tobacco said yesterday: "We manufacture and
sell rolling papers for the use of adult tobacco smokers.

"We recognise that rolling papers can be used in association with
cannabis but this is not their intended purpose and we do not endorse this."