OMG..what do you guys think? Cheers..DD
From BBC News health: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18283689
Experts are warning that the public dangerously underestimates the health risks linked to smoking cannabis.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o> </o>
The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health.<o> </o>
And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.<o></o>
<o></o>The BLF said the lack of awareness was "alarming".<o></o>
<o></o>Widely used <o></o>
Latest figures show that 30% of 16-59 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.<o> </o>
A new report from the BLF says there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer.<o> </o>
Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.<o> </o>
“This is not a niche problem.” Dame Helena Shovelton British Lung Foundation <o></o>
This means that someone smoking a cannabis cigarette inhales four times as much tar as from a tobacco cigarette, and five times as much carbon monoxide, the BLF says.<o> </o>
Its survey found that young people are particularly unaware of the risks.<o> </o>
Some studies have also suggested cannabis increases the chances of developing mental health problems such as schizophrenia.<o> </o>
Almost 40% of the under-35s surveyed - the age group most likely to have smoked it - thought cannabis was not harmful.
However, the BLF report warned that smoking one cannabis cigarette every day for a year increases the chances of developing lung cancer by a similar amount as smoking 20 tobacco cigarettes each day for one year.<o> </o>
Its chief executive, Dame Helena Shovelton, said: "It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.<o> </o>
"This is not a niche problem - cannabis is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it. <o></o>
"We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime."<o> </o>
'Misleading'
The BLF's report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.<o> </o>
Peter Reynolds, leader of Clear, which used to be known as the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, suggested the BLF had been highly-selective in its use of research.<o> </o>
He added: "It is clear that this report was written not as a scientific document but as campaigning propaganda. <o></o>
"As such it is misleading, inaccurate and dangerously irresponsible."
The British Lung Foundation said their report was based on sound research.<o> </o>
"The report references over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, is the most comprehensive report of its kind yet compiled, and has itself been peer-reviewed by a panel of independent experts."<o></o>
From BBC News health: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18283689
Experts are warning that the public dangerously underestimates the health risks linked to smoking cannabis.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o> </o>The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health.<o
> </o>And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.<o
></o><o
></o>The BLF said the lack of awareness was "alarming".<o></o><o
></o>Widely used <o></o>Latest figures show that 30% of 16-59 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.<o
> </o>A new report from the BLF says there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer.<o
> </o>Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.<o
> </o>“This is not a niche problem.” Dame Helena Shovelton British Lung Foundation <o
></o>This means that someone smoking a cannabis cigarette inhales four times as much tar as from a tobacco cigarette, and five times as much carbon monoxide, the BLF says.<o
> </o>Its survey found that young people are particularly unaware of the risks.<o
> </o>Some studies have also suggested cannabis increases the chances of developing mental health problems such as schizophrenia.<o
> </o>Almost 40% of the under-35s surveyed - the age group most likely to have smoked it - thought cannabis was not harmful.
However, the BLF report warned that smoking one cannabis cigarette every day for a year increases the chances of developing lung cancer by a similar amount as smoking 20 tobacco cigarettes each day for one year.<o
> </o>Its chief executive, Dame Helena Shovelton, said: "It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.<o
> </o>"This is not a niche problem - cannabis is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it. <o
></o>"We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime."<o
> </o>'Misleading'
The BLF's report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.<o
> </o>Peter Reynolds, leader of Clear, which used to be known as the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, suggested the BLF had been highly-selective in its use of research.<o
> </o>He added: "It is clear that this report was written not as a scientific document but as campaigning propaganda. <o
></o>"As such it is misleading, inaccurate and dangerously irresponsible."
The British Lung Foundation said their report was based on sound research.<o
> </o>"The report references over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, is the most comprehensive report of its kind yet compiled, and has itself been peer-reviewed by a panel of independent experts."<o
></o>
