376 Children Treated For Cannabis

For immediate release: Tuesday 27th June 2006

Attn: NEWS DESKS, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS
376 CHILDREN TREATED FOR CANNABIS USE - 9 YEAR OLD TREATED FOR DRUG USE

The SNP's Shadow Deputy Justice Spokesperson Stewart Stevenson MSP today published new official statistics which show that the number of children accessing drug treatment and rehabilitation services for cannabis use has more than doubled in the last 5 years.

The statistics also show that one nine year old child in Lothians was treated for cannabis use in the last year.
A parliamentary answer shows that the number of new clients aged less than 16 years, reporting cannabis use, who have accessed drug treatment and rehabilitation services in the last 5 years increased from 127 to 376.

Mr Stevenson said:

"These figures are of grave concern, especially following the publication of the UN report yesterday which stated that traffickers have invested heavily in increasing the potency of the drug.

"Since 1999 there has been an almost three fold increase in the number of under 16 year olds that have been admitted for cannabis treatment. The most shocking case revealed today is that of a child of nine who was treated for cannabis use.

"This should be taken as a wake up call for all Scots. The blasé attitude held by some towards cannabis use undermines the real dangers associated with drugs. In many cases cannabis can be a gateway for the use of harder drugs, so action must be taken to protect our youngsters from entering into this trap.

"We should be sending a clear message to our young people about the dangers of cannabis use, that cannabis does cause harm, and studies are now being published which highlights the long term mental damage that cannabis causes."

The full written answer is as follows:

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WRITTEN ANSWER

23 June 2006
Index Heading: Justice Department

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been treated for (a) cannabis addiction and (b) cannabis-related illnesses in each of the last five years, broken down by age and NHS board.(S2W-26860)

Hugh Henry:The Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) collects information on new individuals coming into contact with drug treatment services.

Information showing the number of new clients aged less than 16 years, reporting cannabis use, who have accessed drug treatment and rehabilitation services in the last 5 years, and broken down by age and NHS board, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 39914).

Information showing the number of people aged 15 years and under, discharged from general acute Scottish hospitals with a diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabis, has also been placed in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 39914).

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

Table 2: New individual patients / clients under 16 years who reported the use of cannabis to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database by NHS board of residence, from 2000/01 to 2004/05

2000/01
	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	TOT
Argyll & Clyde	0	0	0	1	0	11	13	25
Ayrshire & Arran	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	8
Borders	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fife	0	0	1	0	1	11	11	24
Forth Valley	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2
Grampian	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	5
Greater Glasgow	0	1	0	2	7	16	20	46
Highland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lanarkshire	0	0	0	0	1	2	3	6
Lothian	0	0	0	0	1	0	7	8
Orkney Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tayside	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	3
Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SCOTLAND	0	1	1	3	11	44	67	127

2004/05
	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	TOT
Argyll & Clyde	0	2	0	2	7	17	29	57
Ayrshire & Arran	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Borders	0	0	1	2	4	9	10	26
Dumfries & Galloway	0	0	0	2	3	8	6	19
Fife	0	0	0	3	15	25	40	83
Forth Valley	0	0	0	0	2	4	4	10
Grampian	0	0	0	0	4	2	11	17
Greater Glasgow	0	0	0	0	6	5	11	22
Highland	0	0	0	0	3	10	22	35
Lanarkshire	0	1	1	4	3	13	25	47
Lothian	1	0	0	2	3	22	18	46
Orkney	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tayside	0	0	0	0	1	1	11	13
Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SCOTLAND	1	3	2	15	52	116	187	376