The Cost of Getting High

(March 06, 2008) -- Canada is the greatest nation on the globe -- a land of hope and opportunity. We all want our children to be able to take full advantage of everything Canada has to offer, to grow into successful adults who make a valuable contribution to our society. This goal is put at risk when young people are offered drugs before they are mature enough to grasp the consequences of their actions.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime reports that Canada now has the highest proportion of marijuana users in the industrialized world at 16.8% for those between 15 and 64 years of age. Eight percent of youth report using marijuana daily. The most recent Canadian Addictions survey indicates that while youth alcohol-use rates have stayed relatively consistent since 1989, use of marijuana by youth has almost doubled in the same period.

Ecstasy seizures increased from about 180,000 tablets in 2002 to over three million in 2006. In 15 years, youth drug offences quadrupled from under 4,000 reported incidents per year to over 17,000.

Despite all this, Canada has not run a serious or significant antidrug campaign for almost 20 years. Moreover, the debate over whether to decriminalize marijuana has left an entire generation confused over whether or not pot is legal in Canada. It is not.

In the absence of clear advice from government, young people often receive their information from the worst sources: "friends" who are giving away drugs at first, then traffickers who are selling it. We have abandoned this ground to heartless pushers who look for young people to hook as their existing clientele sickens and dies.

And they do die: Vancouver had 36 drug overdoses in the first six months of 2007, compared to 26 in the same period of 2006.

Drugs often described as "recreational" are illegal for a reason: They take a terrible toll on human health. A single marijuana joint may cause as much lung damage as up to 20 tobacco cigarettes, and regular use can cause respiratory problems such as recurring bronchitis.

Cocaine use can cause increased blood pressure which can lead to a stroke. It also can lead to brain damage. Ecstasy has toxic effects on the liver. Ecstasy pills often contain other damaging substances such as methamphetamine. These health effects come on top of the other devastating consequences of drug use: job loss, family disruption and criminal records.

This is why the federal government's 2007 budget added $63.8-million in funding over the next two years for a National Anti-Drug Strategy. This will help prevent illicit drug use, treat illicit drug dependency and combat illicit drug production and distribution. Two-thirds of the new money is being directed toward prevention and treatment. With this announcement, our government committed more money to combating illicit drugs than has ever been spent in Canadian history.

Our government is concerned about the damage that drugs cause families. This is why our National Anti-Drug Strategy placed particular emphasis on educating youth and their parents. We are very pleased to report that the first parent-focused component of this communications campaign has launched this week, with the youth campaign to follow shortly.

We will provide youth with the plain truth on the harms of illicit drug use: There are no "safe" amounts, and there are no "safe" illicit drugs. We will highlight the fact that for young people, having impaired judgment is a safety issue.

The decision by a young person to experiment with these drugs is not merely a "lifestyle choice." It is a decision to put at risk the opportunity to build the happy, prosperous life that Canada can offer them.

We think it's time young people were told the plain truth about the real cost of getting high. -

Tony Clement is the federal Minister of Health.

By Tony Clement
Source: National Post

Last updated: 01/08

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