XN000022-1989-06-25 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 1989

YOUTHS URGED NOT TO TAKE CANNABIS

YOUNGSTERS ARE WARNED THAT CANNABIS SMOKING SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS FASHIONABLE.

IS DANGEROUS AND

THIS WAS STATED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN), DR GERALD CHÙA, TODAY (SUNDAY) WHEN OFFICIATING AT THE "HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL ANTI-DRUG DAY" COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONY.

OF

DR CHOA SAID THERE WAS AN INCREASING TREND IN THE NUMBER YOUNG PEOPLE REPORTED ABUSING PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, AND CANNABIS IN PARTICULAR, DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS.

"A TOTAL OF 134 PERSONS WERE REPORTED ABUSING CANNABIS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH 74 AND 163 FOR THE WHOLE OF 1987 AND 1988 RESPECTIVELY.

"A TOTAL OF 337 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS WAS SEIZED IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE HIGHEST SINCE 1971," DR CHOA ADDED.

ON THE PERNICIOUS EFFECTS OF ABUSING CANNABIS, DR CHOA NOTED THAT EVEN OCCASIONAL USE COULD LEAD PEOPLE INTO DANGER BECAUSE IT COULD INDUCE DISTORTION OF TIME AND SPACE AND POOR JUDGEMENT AND CONCENTRATION.

►

"IT TENDS TO MAKE REGULAR USERS APATHETIC AND DISINTERESTED WORTHWHILE ACTIVITIES REQUIRING HARD WORK AND CONCENTRATION.

IN

"AND, CONTINUOUS ABUSE MAY LEAD TO BRONCHITIS AND IMPAIR LUNG FUNCTION, THUS RESULTING IN CHRONIC COUGH. SPUTUM PRODUCTION, WHEEZE AND ACUTE BRONCHITIC EPISODE," HE ADDED.

WHILE NOTING THERE WAS AS YET NO DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT CANNABIS SMOKING COULD PLAY A CAUSAL ROLE IN LUNG CANCER, DR CHOA POINTED OUT ONE KNOWN CANCER-PRODUCING CHEMICAL, BENZOPYRENE, HAD BEEN REPORTED TO BE 70 PER CENT MORE ABUNDANT IN MARIJUANA SMOKE THAN IN TOBACCO SMOKE.

"FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO MARIJUANA SMOKE, THE LUNG'S DEFENCE SYSTEMS AGAINST BACTERIAL INVASION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE IMPAIRED.

"HEAVY MARIJUANA USE MAY ALSO IMPAIR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE ABUSERS' REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONING AND THE USE OF MARIJUANA DURING PREGNANCY IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED," DR CHOA SAID.

ABUSERS RECORDED IN THE

DRUG THERE ARE ABOUT 41,000 ACTIVE GOVERNMENT'S COMPUTERISED CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE. AMONG 95 PER CENT ARE HEROIN ADDICTS AND THE REMAINING FIVE MAINLY OPIUM, MANDRAX OR CANNABIS.

THEM,

PER CENT TAKE

"THIS WELL