English 
Francais 
عربي 
Cannabis: 30 000 British deaths each year!
[mis à jour le 23 May 2003 à 08h41]
“Just like tobacco, cannabis can have serious health consequences. Yet there is no clear-cut debate about the risks linked to its use. It may however be the cause of some 30 000 deaths per year in Great Britain”.
The latest editorial in the British Medical Journal does not beat about the bush. According to Prof. John Henry of the Imperial College of Medicine in London, “between 1999 and 2001, the proportion of British teenagers who had experimented with cannabis rose from 19% to 29% among boys, and from 18% to 25% among girls. Regular use of cannabis increases the risk of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression”.
One new fact emerges from this editorial: even when used alone by someone who does not smoke tobacco, cannabis could be the cause of a number of cancers “of the lungs and tongue”. Not to mention the risks of “chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other pulmonary problems”. Prof. John Henry could not give an opinion regarding cardiovascular illnesses. However he hoped that research would be conducted on the potential links in this respect.
Print this article
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Send to a friend
Convert to pdf
Copyright Authorization
