BRITAIN ON A HIGH FOR CANNABIS USE IN EU

BRITAIN'S illicit drug use, particularly of cannabis, is among the highest
in Europe, according to an EU report.

It revealed 35% of 15 to 16-year-olds claimed to have tried the drug,
putting the UK at the top of the table with France and the Czech Republic.

Britain also had one of the highest numbers of people who had admitted
sampling cannabis in their lifetime, with 30% overall and 42% of 15 to
34-year-olds having tried it.

However, the Lisbon-based agency, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs
and Drug Addiction, said consumption appeared to be levelling out or
dropping in the high-use countries, suggesting it had reached saturation point.

Other drug use was also high in Britain, which reported 6.9 injecting
addicts, or long-term users of opiates, cocaine, or amphetamines, for every
1000 citizens aged 15 to 64. Only Luxembourg and Portugal reported higher
numbers.

The study also said Britain had the cheapest drugs in Europe.

Cannabis is due to be downgraded from a Class B drug to Class C in January.
However, there are still concerns about its effects on mental and physical
health. Doctors at Glasgow Royal Infirmary reported on a phenomenon known
as "vanishing lung syndrome" thought to be related to cannabis use,

The EU report also said solvent abuse could be a bigger health threat to
young teenagers in the UK and Ireland than ecstasy and other controlled drugs.