The Toronto Star has an ombusperson, who can be cc:'d if your Letter to the
Editor regards the accuracy of the reprinting of the Reuters article.
I would suggest not using the following email address if you are simply
replying to the article itself. The Ombudsperson can be reached at:
ombud@thestar.com

TEENAGERS AT RISK FROM MARIJUANA, U.S. STUDY SAYS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Teens who use marijuana can quickly become dependent
on the drug, U.S. researchers report.

More than two-thirds of teens referred for treatment by social service or
criminal justice agencies complained of withdrawal symptoms when they
stopped using marijuana, Dr. Thomas Crowley of the University of Colorado
and colleagues reported yesterday.

``This study provides additional important data to better illustrate that
marijuana is a dangerous drug that can be addictive,'' Dr. Alan Leshner,
head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which paid for the
study, said in a statement.

``It also identifies the devastating impact marijuana dependence can have
on young people and highlights the fact that many both need and want help
dealing with their addiction,'' he added.

Crowley's team at the university's Addiction Research and Treatment Service
studied interviews, medical examinations and social histories of 165 boys
and 64 girls aged 13 to 19.

More than 80 percent of the boys and 60 percent of the girls were
clinically dependent on marijuana.

When asked, 97 percent of the teens said they still used marijuana even
after realizing it had become a problem for them.

Eighty-five percent admitted their habit interfered with driving, school,
work and home life, while 77 percent said they spent ``much time'' getting,
using or recovering from the effects of marijuana, according to the study,
published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Most also said their problems started before they started using marijuana.

``About 825,000 youths were arrested and formally processed by juvenile
courts in 1994,'' Crowley said in a statement.

``About 50 percent of these youths tested positive for marijuana at the
time of arrest and many fit the profile of the teens in this study, making
them at high risk for marijuana dependence.

President Clinton's anti-drug leader, retired general Barry McCaffrey, said
the study "underscores ... that marijuana is a dangerous drug, and its use
can lead to severe consequences for vulnerable young people."