POT SMOKERS BEWARE - REGION PLANNING AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

For the first time, York Region's health unit plans to launch an education
campaign that targets use of a specific drug -- marijuana.

The unit wants to take a similar approach to the way it educates people
about alcohol, teaching about the dangers of using the drug in a harmful
way, such as while driving or looking after a child, said Patricia
Scott-Jeoffroy, substance abuse prevention educator.

"The (marijuana) use, in itself, isn't necessarily the problem. It's how
and when it's used," she said.

The health unit is unable to release many facts about the campaign, such as
when it will start, sources of funding or how much it will need, because it
is too early in the application process and much of the planning has been
put on hold because of the SARS outbreak, Ms Scott-Jeoffroy said.

The decision to launch a campaign was a response to a House of Commons
committee recommendation in December to establish a marijuana
decriminalization strategy.

The unit's campaign will go ahead whether or not marijuana is
decriminalized, Ms Scott-Jeoffroy said.

People need to know the difference between marijuana use being a criminal
offence, legalized or being decriminalized, she said.

Now, possession of small quantities of marijuana for non-medical reasons is
a criminal offence, according to the Criminal Code. If it was legalized,
there would be no penalty. Decriminalization means taking simple possession
out of the Criminal Code. It would not be legal, but it would not be a
criminal offence.

The campaign will target everyone, not just one population such as young
people, and will take a balanced approach, providing facts about the
medical benefits as well as harmful consequences of marijuana use, Ms
Scott-Jeoffroy said.

Medical use of marijuana was permitted through an amendment to the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in July 2001.

But not everyone believes an education campaign would be effective.

"They (the government) are spending thousands of dollars teaching people
about the effects of (cigarette) smoking and they are still smoking," said
Baron Von Egon, a resident of Vandorf.

The campaign will have little impact on people already smoking the drug, so
the health unit should launch a targeted campaign, aimed at young people
who have not started smoking marijuana, said Keswick resident James Young,
who has been smoking cigarettes for 41 years.

"Someone smoking it already isn't going to stop. They will stop one day --
when they are dead."

He believes more money should be put into alcohol awareness campaigns.

"The mistakes you make with alcohol can be deadly."

Pot smoking made headlines in York Region last month when police
spot-checks found an increase in the number of drivers smoking pot while
driving.

"We've stopped the same number of cars as we did last year and the numbers
are way up," Staff-Sgt. Doug Hall was quoted as saying. "It's really
actually alarming."

Of the York Region students who use marijuana and drive, close to 20 per
cent reported driving within one hour of smoking, according to the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health's study of adolescent drug use in Canada.

These statistics were applied to York Region's population in a report
presented to the region's health committee last week and due for council
approval later this month.

The region's report estimates 26,169 York Region students or close to 30
per cent of students in grades 7 to OAC have used marijuana. Almost 5,000
reported unsuccessful attempts to quit.