MORE TEENAGERS USING MARIJUANA

More teenagers are experimenting with marijuana, with 41 per cent of 14 to
19-year-olds having tried it, according to a national drug study released
yesterday.

The 1985-95 report on patterns of drug use, also shows a significant level
of under-age drinking in Australia.

Most 16 and 17-year-olds drink alcohol and one in five is a regular heavy
drinker, according to the report. One in three 14 and 15-year-olds has tried
alcohol and one in four is a moderate drinker.

While the report reveals worrying figures on teenage drinking, the overall
number of Australians who do not drink has increased to one in five, and the
proportion of heavy drinkers has declined.

Tobacco consumption has declined among heavy smokers and smoking is becoming
less common among adolescents.

Men remain more likely to smoke than women, but the gap is closing. Thirty
per cent of men smoke, compared to 25 per cent of women, the report said.
Smoking rates for men have declined since World War II and remained stable
for women.

The federal Health Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, said he was concerned
that some people considered marijuana safe.

"There's mounting evidence to show that psychiatric disorders might be
unmasked, for example. I find that very scary," he said.

A co-author of the report, Professor Ian McAllister, said it contained mixed
news for Australians. "In terms of the illicit drugs, most of the major ones
are readily available to people if they want them. And significant
proportions of people reported that they have been offered them at some
stage in their lives," he said.

The report found that most people using heroin did so irregularly, with 86
per cent saying they used it less than once a year. The heroin users were
most likely to be men in their 20s.

The report also referred to a "significant" link between unemployment and
heroin.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett