Cannabis use increase for men

Cannabis use among young men is increasing, figures revealed yesterday.

On the day the drug was downgraded from Class B to Class C, statistics showed the proportion of men aged 16 to 24 who regularly smoke it has risen by three per cent since 1996, to 37 per cent.

In contrast, just 21 per cent of young women smoke dope - down one per cent. The proportion of young people using illicit drugs remained steady between 1996 and 2000, according to a report by the Office of National Statistics.

Eight years ago, 34 per cent of young men and 25 per cent of young women used drugs. By 2000, the figures were 35 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

But there have been significant changes in the type of drugs taken, most notably a sharp increase in the number of young men trying cocaine. In 1996, two per cent used the drug.

That soared to seven per cent four years later - compared with two per cent of young women.

But the proportion of young people taking amphetamines - or speed - plummeted by more than half.

While 15 per cent of young men said they tried the powder in 1996, just seven per cent were using it in 2000.

Among young women, speed used fell from nine to three per cent. There was a similar decline in the use of LSD and magic mushrooms, while ecstasy use remained unchanged at nine per cent for young men and four per cent for young women.

One in eight young men and one in 20 young women regularly used Class A drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and heroin - down marginally from 1996, the ONS added.