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| Most See Marijuana as Health Hazard |
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Posted by FoM on June 18, 2001 at 06:50:19 PT By Jim Bronskill, The Ottawa Citizen Source: Ottawa Citizen 
Most Canadians believe smoking marijuana regularly poses health hazards, a poll commissioned by the federal government indicates. A strong majority of people also feel trying the drug Ecstasy once or twice is as harmful as smoking cigarettes daily, according to the survey conducted for the Health Department. The newly released research suggests Canadians perceive drug abuse as a health issue more than a matter for police and the courts. The results come amid the latest round of the long-running debate about the merits of decriminalizing marijuana, as well as controversy over newly popular club drugs such as Ecstasy, which has been linked to a number of deaths. The department hired Ipsos-Reid to take the poll as a means of gauging support for government intervention in the area of substance abuse. The survey of 1,003 Canadians, conducted during the last week of March, is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points. Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed felt smoking cannabis on a regular basis was harmful to the smoker or others. Forty per cent thought trying marijuana once or twice posed harm, while 38 per cent believed it would have little negative effect. In a recent editorial, the Canadian Medical Association Journal said the 1.5 million Canadians who smoke marijuana for recreational purposes could attest to the "minimal negative health effects of moderate use." However, a 1998 paper by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, a federally funded think-tank, said that far from being a benign drug, marijuana can have negative effects on the respiratory system, physical co-ordination, fetal development and memory. Three-quarters of people surveyed by the pollster considered taking an ecstasy tablet even once or twice to be harmful. Dubbed the "hug drug" because of the warm feelings it produces, ecstasy -- often taken at all-night dance parties -- can lead to severe dehydration and life-threatening heat stroke. Early research suggests it may also cause brain damage. About the same proportion of respondents -- 76 per cent -- believed smoking cigarettes daily to be damaging to health. Alcohol was seen as more benign. Thirty-seven per cent of people said having one or two alcoholic drinks nearly every day would be harmful. Perhaps not surprisingly, 95 per cent felt that injecting highly addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine on a regular basis caused harm. Almost as many -- 90 per cent -- considered injecting these drugs just once or twice to be damaging. Women, residents of the Atlantic provinces and Canadians aged 55 and older were more likely than others to feel that using the drugs examined posed harm. The survey also found drug issues were generally worrisome to Canadians. Thirty-eight per cent of respondents said they were very concerned about illicit drug use, consumption of alcohol and cigarette smoking in their communities. Another 40 per cent were somewhat concerned. Asked why one shouldn't use illicit drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine, 88 per cent of people chose the rationale "these drugs may harm their health" over "it is against the law" -- the choice of just 11 per cent. When presented with options for addressing drug abuse, 78 per cent of those surveyed preferred that the government assign priority to the prevention and treatment of drug abuse, while 21 per cent said emphasis should be on law enforcement and imprisonment of users. In recent years, the RCMP and the association representing Canadian police chiefs have advocated making the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana a fine not unlike a parking ticket, rather than a criminal record. However, the Canadian Police Association, which represents rank-and-file officers, objects to decriminalization, saying it would weaken moral disapproval of drug use, dampen worker productivity and result in higher health costs. Note: Survey shows broad concern about drug use. Related Articles & Web Site: Canadian Links Canadians Lean Toward Easing Marijuana Laws O Cannabis: Ottawa May Ease Up On Marijuana Laws Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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Comment #6 posted by Matt on June 18, 2001 at 10:37:11 PT:
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Consider 'Canadians Lean Toward Easing Marijuana Laws' http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10076.shtml In which the author asserts that Canadians are becoming The reality is, our politicians were, as one judge The politicians are being influenced by the public, the courts and the press. See 'The Media on Drug Policy in Canada' Even though a majority of Canadians still believe that What all of this suggests to me is that, contrary to Matt [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by aocp on June 18, 2001 at 10:22:08 PT |
| However, the Canadian Police Association, which represents rank-and-file officers, objects to decriminalization, saying it would weaken moral disapproval of drug use, dampen worker productivity and result in higher health costs. Translation: prohibition is the better solution. Sheesh. About the same proportion of respondents -- 76 per Whoa! Stop the presses! Smoking cigs is linked directly Check this out: Three-quarters of people surveyed Same as for cigs and based on research of the polled? Dubbed the "hug drug" because of the warm Well, you can deal with dehydration (severe or not) and Oh, and for the early "suggestions" of brain damage, [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by Lehder on June 18, 2001 at 10:02:11 PT |
| "Constitutional government exists to protect the minority from the hateful ignorance of the majority."--Pontifex So I always thought too. But constitutional government at least in this country has failed. It's no surprise. This is a country of people so ignorant that they believe marijuana to be an addictive narcotic that provides the smoker with "escape". We are a people so ignorant that when we point to the enormous white chemtrail X's criss-crossing the skies like a giant's scribbling we accept the government's answer that "it doesn't exist". It covers the sky with wildly scrawled X's and zigzags on many days and we accept that it "doesn't exist." Americans will accept anything their ugly government and TV sets tell them. Reality for Americans is found only on television. Nothing else makes an impression. The drug war will be over when control of television is taken away from the government. I believe this job will have to be done by foreign invaders. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #3 posted by Pontifex on June 18, 2001 at 09:19:44 PT:
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| The Canadian public has obviously been hoodwinked by several decades of anti-drug propaganda. All that this study shows is spectacular ignorance of the effects of drugs. Perhaps not surprisingly, 95 per cent felt that And yet, cocaine has legitimate medical purposes, and Constitutional government exists to protect the minority [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Sudaca on June 18, 2001 at 09:02:20 PT |
| I don't follow the articles logic..the RCMP says that it favors keeping pot illegal because "would weaken moral disapproval of drug use, dampen worker productivity and result in higher health costs. " and the opinion percentages show what? That people perceive pot as about as dangerous as cigarettes (less on pots part) on the worst case scenario? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by Sudaca on June 18, 2001 at 08:58:23 PT |
| tobacco, alcohol and caffeine? Does having a less than %50 approval justify the illegality of a defined conduct? [ Post Comment ] |
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