A recent World Health Organization study of youth substance use shows that Canadian girls and Scottish boys have the highest rates of cannabis use among 15-year-olds in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, according to data collected in 2022.

Overall, the study shows that cannabis use among teens has declined slightly, with the percentage of 15-year-olds who have ever smoked cannabis falling from 14% in 2018 to 12% in 2022. Among 15-year-olds, 6% reported having used cannabis in the last 30 days.

The research by the World Health Organization (WHO) examined survey data from 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries on three continents about their use of alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes and cannabis, making it the largest study of its kind to date. 

25% of 15-Year-Old Canadian Girls Have Smoked Weed

A quarter (25%) of 15-year-old Canadian girls interviewed for the study said they had smoked cannabis at some time in their lives, while 21% of Canadian boys said the same. Scotland took the top spot for cannabis use among 15-year-old boys, with 23% saying they had smoked weed at some point, while 16% of girls the same age said they had done likewise.

The survey data from Scotland included interviews with 4,000 teenagers. Dr. Jo Inchley of the University of Glasgow, who worked as international co-ordinator for the study, said the high ranking of Scottish boys identified by the research is “concerning.”

“We’re not seeing the declines amongst regular users like we do amongst more experimental users,” she told the BBC. “Compared with other countries, we’re still relatively high and 15-year-old boys in Scotland have the highest levels of cannabis use across the study as a whole. That’s concerning. So, even though we’ve seen these decreases, we are still relatively high compared to other countries.”

The study also examined young people’s use of alcohol, which was determined to be the most commonly used substance among teens. More than half (57%) of 15-year-olds surveyed said they had tried alcohol at least once, while nearly 4 in 10 (37%) indicated they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.

The research also found that overall, the use of e-cigarettes by young people has surpassed cigarette smoking, with 32% of 15-year-olds surveyed reporting e-cigarette use at some point and 20% in the past 30 days. Nearly one in ten 11-year-olds said they had used a vape at least once, rising to 26% of boys and 40% of girls by age 15.

In Scotland, 40% of 15-year-old girls and 33% of boys have used an electronic cigarette. Of those, 30% of girls said their use was in the 30 days before the survey, while a fifth of boys (20%) said the same. English girls vaped at a similar rate as Scottish girls, with both countries reporting higher rates than many other countries including France, Austria, Germany, Albania, Spain, Canada and Norway.

“Vaping in the UK is higher than the average across all the countries that took part in the survey as a whole,” said Inchley. “Steep increases in vaping among young people in the U.K. threaten to reverse some of the positive trends we’ve seen in substance use in recent years with overall declines in alcohol use and cigarette smoking since the 1990s.”

“Rates of vaping have doubled in the last four years among girls in Scotland,” she added. “Vapes are far too readily accessible to young people and the health risks are underestimated. New legislation to ban single-use vapes is an important step forward but further action is needed to address these worrying trends.”

WHO Says Youth Substance Use ‘Concerning’

The WHO characterized the popularity of substance use among young people as “concerning,” with more than half of 15-year-olds saying they have tried alcohol and a fifth saying they have used e-cigarettes. The new data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2022 study also reveals a narrowing gender gap in substance use, which WHO officials say emphasizes the need for targeted prevention strategies. 

“The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European Region – and beyond – is a serious public health threat,” Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a statement about the research. “Considering that the brain continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products.” 

“Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products, while popular culture, like video games, normalizes them,’ he continued. “WHO/Europe is working with countries to ensure all young people, everywhere, get the best possible start in life. This means protecting them from toxic and addictive products that could affect their quality of life in the years ahead.”

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A 3D printed chip which mimics human organ systems may allow for drugs to one day be tested without harming animals.

Pharmaceuticals are often if not always tested on animals before ever being administered to humans, though many drugs never make it that far in the process. In fact, when I interviewed Willy Myco the notorious YouTube educator on all things shroom-growing, he told me that he left a high-ranking position with a top pharmaceutical company to pursue YouTube content creation because he saw a room full of animals in cages who were slated to be incinerated after the tests were complete. 

This practice may eventually be a thing of the past thanks to a particular new invention created by in vitro pharmacology p.H.D. student Liam Carr and his fellow researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The 3D-printed device, which loosely resembles a translucent Connect-4 set, is referred to as a “body-on chip” and reportedly is able to replicate the way different medicines move through the human body by utilizing a process known as positron emission tomography or “PET scanning.” This essentially means that small radioactive chemicals are sent into the device which transmit images to small cameras. 

“This device is the first to be designed specifically for measuring drug distribution, with an even flow paired with organ compartments that are large enough to sample drug uptake for mathematical modeling, Carr said to the Guardian. “Essentially, allowing us to see where a new drug goes in the body and how long it stays there, without having to use a human or animal to test it.”

Now while this all may be too fancy of medical language for this humble journalist to fully grasp, Carr said the way the device works almost perfectly matches the rates at which drugs are taken in by different organ systems, allowing for accurate mathematical data to be gathered without the need for humans or animals to actually take the drug. 

“Using mathematic modeling, we have found that the rate of transfer into the organ compartments and the uptake of nutrients in vitro mimics in vivo organ results,” Carr said in a University of Edinburgh press release. “It’s been really exciting to be able to use PET imaging to modify the device and produce even flow through all organ compartments.”

According to PETA, over 110 million animals including “mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds” are killed every year in pharmaceutical testing. Many of these animals are subjected to barbaric forms of what most humans would consider torture as well including having holes drilled in their skulls, being forced to inhale toxic fumes, being immobilized in restraints for several hours at a time to name a few. Carr’s supervisor said in a press release that this new device could drastically reduce that number of animals over time, especially considering that a very low percentage of drugs actually progress past animal trials. 

“This device shows really strong potential to reduce the large number of animals that are used worldwide for testing drugs and other compounds, particularly in the early stages, where only 2% of compounds progress through the discovery pipeline,” said Carr’s supervisor Dr Adriana Tavares of the University’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science.

Carr and his fellow researchers have received funding in the form of £260,000 (which equates to a little over $287,000 USD) from the Medical Research Council to continue testing the device using sterile materials. The device can also reportedly be used to test other substances beyond pharmaceuticals such as aerosols, food and household products. 

“We’re delighted to be supporting Liam and the CVS team in the development of this ‘body-on-chip’, and we look forward to seeing the impact this novel device has on testing and progression of new compounds and drugs in the future,” said Dr Susan Bodie, Head of Business Development for the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh Innovations.

It was not immediately clear based on the press release when/if the device may be distributed or when, if ever, the number of animals used in experiments may begin to dwindle but as with all things medicine it is safe to assume it will be a little while before use of this device becomes widespread. But for the sake of the animals, consider my fingers crossed. 

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The Scottish government last week called for decriminalizing possession of personal quantities of drugs in a bid to address the alarming rate of overdose deaths in the country, which is among the highest in Europe. In a policy proposal, the semi-autonomous Edinburgh government, led by the pro-independence Scottish National Party, said that eliminating criminal penalties for drug possession would “allow for the provision of safe, evidence-based harm reduction services.”

“The war on drugs has failed,” Scottish drugs minister Elena Whitham said at a news conference alongside fellow drug policy reform advocates Helen Clark, the former New Zealand Prime Minister, and ex-Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss.

“Our current drug law does not stop people from using drugs, it does not stop people from experiencing the harm associated and, critically, it does not stop people from dying,” Whitham added. “In fact, I would say today here, that criminalization increases the harms people experience. Criminalization kills.”

Europe’s Highest Overdose Death Rate

The death rate from drug overdoses in Scotland is three times the rate for the United Kingdom as a whole and the highest in Western Europe. Last year, there were 1,330 fatal drug overdoses in Scotland, a country of only 5.5 million people, according to government figures cited by the Associated Press. 

“Every single drug death is a tragedy, behind each statistic is a grieving family and community,” the Scottish government wrote in a policy paper published on Friday. “The scale of the drug deaths emergency in Scotland requires us to use every lever at our disposal, and we are clear that our actions to resolve this crisis must be comprehensive. This government’s position has consistently been that tackling the drugs emergency requires a concerted and radical public health approach.”

The Scottish government cited the drug policy in Portugal, where criminal penalties were eliminated in 2001 in favor of health-focused reforms that focus on drug treatment for those experiencing problematic use. The Scottish government said a similar decriminalization plan would free “individuals from the fear of accessing treatment and support, reducing drug-related harms and, ultimately, improving lives.”

Whitman also said that the government would like to see the law changed to allow for the establishment of supervised drug consumption sites, which have been shown to save lives and encourage those with substance misuse disorders to seek help. Other proposals include introducing a regulated supply of drugs to promote consistency and safety. 

Whitman said that without a radical change in drug policy, the situation would continue to worsen, adding that Scotland was “facing down the barrel of a storm in terms of synthetic opioids and new and novel street benzodiazepines that are heading to our shores.”

“If we are not prepared for that arriving here, with 21st century drug laws in place, I’m terrified as to what that could look like,” she said.

U.K. Government Quickly Nixes Decriminalization Bid

But the drug decriminalization proposal is opposed by conservatives in both Scotland and the U.K. national government. Current policy in Scotland allows those caught possessing drugs to be released with a police warning, but full decriminalization would require the approval of the U.K.’s conservative government in London. Max Blain, spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said that approval would not come.

“There are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs,” he said.

“Illegal drugs destroy lives and devastate communities. We are committed to preventing drug use by supporting people through treatment and recovery and tackling the supply of illegal drugs, as set out in our 10-year drugs strategy,” the U.K. Home Office wrote in a statement after Scotland’s decriminalization plan was proposed. “We have no plans to decriminalise drugs given the associated harms, including the risks posed by organised criminals, who will use any opportunity to operate an exploitative and violent business model.”

Russell Findlay, justice spokesman for the Scottish Conservative Party, said “It is madness to try and solve Scotland’s drug death crisis, the worst in Europe, by essentially legalising heroin, crack and other class-A drugs. This would put more drugs on our streets. It would put more lives at risk.”

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Police in the United Kingdom arrested more than 1,000 individuals and confiscated more than 180,000 cannabis plants in a recent push to crack down on illegal marijuana cultivation. The eradication campaign, dubbed Operation Millie by U.K. law enforcement officials, was carried out throughout the month of June and involved every police force in England, Scotland and Wales, according to media reports.

Steve Jupp, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for Serious and Organized Crime, told reporters that the operation had “successfully disrupted a significant amount of criminal activity.”

Operation Millie was the largest cannabis eradication campaign to date, with more than 11,000 police officers across the U.K. participating in the month-long drive. The National Crime Agency and Immigration Enforcement were also involved in the operation, which saw the execution of more than 1,000 warrants during the month of June. Of the more than 1,000 arrested, 450 have since been charged with an offense.

In addition to the nearly 200,000 cannabis plants seized during Operation Millie, police also confiscated 15 to 20 firearms, approximately 40 other weapons and £650,000 ($825,000) in cash. Police estimated the value of the cannabis plants seized at £130 million, although some have suggested that such estimates from law enforcement are often inflated.

Raids Targeted Criminal Gangs

Police said that the operation was carried out not only to eradicate illicit cannabis cultivation sites but also to disrupt organized criminal gangs that use the money generated by the operations to fund other criminal activities. Other offenses committed by such gangs include money laundering, violence and trafficking in Class A drugs, all of which are offenses that “blight communities,” according to the NPCC. In the U.K., cannabis is designated a Class B drug, while more potentially addictive and dangerous substances such as heroin are listed as Class A drugs.

“We know that organized networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to an array of other serious criminality such as Class A drug importation, modern slavery and wider violence and exploitation,” said Jupp.

Police said that illicit cannabis growers have used structures of various sizes to house their operations, noting that illegal weed farms have been found in a range of buildings from empty residential homes to large industrial complexes. Often, the sites are dangerous because the operators are stealing electricity, posing a risk of fire. Locations can also be subject to water damage and strong fumes.

“This operation not only successfully disrupted a significant amount of criminal activity, but the intelligence gathered will also help inform future law enforcement across the country,” Jupp said. “Cannabis-related crime is often thought to be ‘low level’, however, there are clear patterns around the exploitation and violence organized crime groups are using to protect their enterprises. We also frequently find that cannabis production is just one aspect of their criminal operations and that they are complicit in wider offending which blights our communities.”

U.K. Police Chiefs Call For Drug Decriminalization

Late last year, the NPCC announced that the group is developing a plan to effectively decriminalize the possession of drugs including cannabis and cocaine. If adopted by the government, the use and possession of small amounts of recreational drugs would be treated as a public health issue for first-time offenders, rather than a criminal offense subject to prosecution and jail time or other punishment.

The proposals, which were developed by the NPCC and the College of Policing, would effectively decriminalize the possession of Class A drugs including cocaine and Class B substances such as marijuana. Under the plan, individuals caught with illegal drugs would be offered an opportunity to attend drug education or treatment programs, rather than being subjected to prosecution. 

Police would take no further action against those who agree to complete the program, giving them a chance to avoid a criminal record. Those who fail to finish the drug program or who are subsequently caught with illicit drugs would still be subject to criminal prosecution.

Jason Harwin, the former NPCC lead on drugs and a former deputy chief constable, is working with the College of Policing on the new partial decriminalization strategy.

“We should not criminalize someone for possession of drugs,” he said in a statement reported by The Telegraph. “It should be diversion to other services to give them a chance to change their behaviors.”

Fourteen of the U.K.’s 43 police forces have already adopted policies similar to the drug decriminalization proposal from the nation’s police chiefs. But the plan is at odds with the country’s Conservative Party government, which has floated proposals to stiffen the penalties on recreational drugs including cannabis.

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