Cannabis use in Australian teenage girls on a high
15 March 2002
Teenage girls are now just as likely as teenage boys to use cannabis, according to Australian research that contradicts the findings of earlier studies.
A household survey found one-quarter of adolescents aged 13-17 had tried cannabis. Use in teenage girls had increased at a more rapid rate.
'This contrasts with earlier studies which reported strong gender effects with both the prevalence and frequency of cannabis use being higher among males than females,' the researchers wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry (2002; 180: 216-21).
A total of 1261 adolescents, representative of the population, was included in the survey.
Cannabis use was also found to increase rapidly with age, rising from 7 per cent among 13 year-olds to 41 per cent in 17 year-olds. The drug was also more popular among those who lived with a sole parent.
Problems found to be associated with cannabis use included depression, conduct problems (such as stealing, truancy and lying) and health-risk behaviours.
'This does not necessarily mean that all young people who use cannabis have mental health problems,' said Professor Joseph Rey, lead author and University of Sydney child and adolescent psychiatry professor.
Last Reviewed: 22 March 2002
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