Buses to carry anti-cannabis message

1:08pm Monday 7th July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Trains and buses across the borough are to become the vehicle for an anti-drug message to steer young people away from using cannabis.

The message "Where do you get off?" will appear on posters inside buses travelling through Wood Green and Tottenham as well as at most Tube stations this month.

It will also promote a helpline number alerting drug users, or concerned family members, where help can be found to kick the habit.

Research shows that more young people in Haringey use cannabis than in most other London boroughs.

Seventeen per cent of young people use cannabis compared to the national average of ten per cent.

Councillor Nilgun Canver, cabinet member for safer communities and enforcement, said: "Not doing anything is not an option. The cost is much higher. For every £1 we spend on campaigns like this we save £9 on things like health services to get people off drugs. It really proves that we need to let people know that they can get help.

"Tackling drugs helps us to meet our key priorities of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. If you help one person to stay off drugs, you help many others at the same time."

The campaign also hopes to debunk some of the myths surrounding the Class C drug and raise awareness of possible side effects such as mental health problems.

Marion Morris, drugs and alcohol team coordinator, said: "Contrary to what some people think, cannabis is still illegal and it can lead to mental health problems, you need only look at some of the wards at St Ann's Hospital.

"There is no evidence to suggest that those using cannabis will progress to stronger drugs but it does put young people at risk of coming into contact with the wrong sort of people."

Different types of cannabis such as skunk are also much stronger than people realise, she added.