CANNABIS DANGER TO BE FLAGGED UP

WARNINGS about the dangers of smoking cannabis are going out in a
council-run campaign today.

The Swindon Community Safety Partnership is flagging up the risks on
posters around the town.

Messages in the town centre, youth clubs, schools and libraries will
show how cannabis is linked to mental health problems.

Information packs will also be sent to school nurses and GP practices
to back the national drive to raise awareness of the drug's effects.

"We understand how important it is that everyone in Swindon,
especially young people, are aware of all the facts surrounding the
use of cannabis and know where to go to get advice and help," said
Colin Lovell, Swindon Council's cabinet member for community and
neighbourhoods.

"We want to build on the nationwide campaign and raise awareness in
the community."

Cannabis use is known to cause paranoia and can lead to an increased
chance of becoming psychotic if smoked from the early teens.

The Government's national drug awareness campaign - Frank - warns
that people can become dependent on smoking marijuana.

It can often lead to homelessness, money worries, and alienation from
family and friends and legal problems, warns the two-week campaign.

The warning comes after police accidentally stumbled upon a suspected
cannabis factory in Rodbourne Cheney on May 20.

Police discovered the marijuana plants after a fire broke out at a
house in Whitworth Road. Cut and dried plants were also found at the
address.

According to the owner of the house the property was rented
out.

Earlier this month a Vietnamese man was convicted of cultivating the
drug in Swindon. Tam Cao was caught after police uncovered a drugs
factory at a property in Haydon Street last summer.

A report released by the Metropolitan police on Thursday showed that
Vietnamese gangs are setting up factories outside London to escape
increasing police scrutiny in the capital.

It is also believed that rising house prices are forcing them to seek
out cheaper parts of the country.