Aussies use more cannabis than Europeans

[hobbez]

article from aap

 

AUSTRALIANS rank among the world's top cannabis users, a review of global data has confirmed.

 

It was estimated more than eight per cent of the population used marijuana at least once a year, and this rate was only matched by North America and our trans-Tasman neighbours.

 

"Australia, New Zealand and North America have traditionally been the countries which have among the highest rates (of cannabis use)," Professor Louisa Degenhardt of the University of NSW said.

 

"That has been something demonstrated repeatedly in surveys of young people and surveys of the general population."

 

Europe was next in terms of annual usage followed by the Middle East and Asia, while usage rates were rising across Africa but from a low base in some countries.

 

This was according to a major review of the global pool of research into marijuana consumption, conducted by the University of NSW's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in collaboration with the University of Queensland.

 

The paper, published in The Lancet, included a UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimate that cannabis was used by 166 million people, or 3.9 per cent of the global population aged 15 to 64 years, during 2006.

 

Prof Degenhardt said a different study in 2007 found 9.1 per cent of Australians aged 14 to 65 reported using cannabis in the past year - one of the highest usage rates in the world.

 

The paper states one in 10 users have "cannabis dependence syndrome" placing them at risk of chronic bronchitis, psychotic symptoms especially in those with a family history of mental disorders, and also poorer education outcomes in affected youth.

 

Other possibly linked health effects include respiratory cancer, depression, suicide or behavioural disorders in children whose mothers used cannabis while pregnant.

 

A person's heart attack risk increases almost five times during the hour after they used cannabis, another study shows.

 

Despite this, the paper concludes the health burden imposed by cannabis use on Australia was "probably modest" compared to the illness and injury caused by alcohol, tobacco and other illicit drugs.

 

"Cannabis use caused 0.2 per cent of total disease burden in Australia - a country with one of the highest reported rates of cannabis use," the paper said.

 

Alcohol accounted for 2.3 per cent of the nation's disease burden while tobacco came in at 7.8 per cent.

[Nooby]

one in 10 users have "cannabis dependence syndrome" placing them at risk of chronic bronchitis

A person's heart attack risk increases almost five times during the hour after they used cannabis

 

Anyone know if that's true or not?

[daveo17]

id just like to say i love Australia

[elwood]

Yeah thats true, the sensitivity of peoples airways vary greatly, ie some peoples are over sensitive like in asthma, this means that when they inhale irritants such as smoke their airways can become inflamed. With inflammation comes white blood cells and increased mucus production. The mucus blocks your small airways and so you start to cough in order to clear them, chronic bronchitis is technically defined as a productive cough for more than 3 months. It can lead to lung fibrosis (makes your lungs less elastic) and the chronic cough can give you a hernia or haemorrhoids.

 

Not too sure about the heart attack risk but i guess it relates to the fact that smoking cannabis causes a tachycardia (increased heart rate) and in people with heart disease this could lead to a heart attack, or in other people it could reveal an electrical fault in the heart which also kill you.

 

Easy ways to help avoid things like this are excecise and healthy diet. For smokers (weed and cigarettes alike) swimming is good because it helps increasing your cardiovascular and respiratory fitness.

[lookinggood]

anyone here from melbourne

[lookinggood]

post1

[lookinggood]

post2

[lookinggood]

not quiteright

[Indycar]

No it's not quite right, lookinggood. Also, if you haven't read the print in the red rectangle at the bottom of each page. There's a fair chance you'll get turfed outta here, real quick. Inform yourself of the site rules before you continue would be something i'd highly recommend.

[Rocker]

Exercise increases the heart rate and that's good for you.

 

Cannabis can increase the heart rate and that's bad for you. May cause a heart attack!

 

How does that work? For people who can't exercise cannabis may well be a good way of getting the hear rate up instead of exercise?

 

I don't claim to know the answers but I do wonder about the logic behind some claims.

 

Some of the fittest people on the planet have dropped dead from a heart attack. There are no guarantees in this life. Just enjoy every moment.