French Teenagers Turn To Marijuana From Alcohol

PARIS — Teenagers see wine and spirits as "old France" and are increasingly turning to cannabis to let their hair down, according to a national study on its consumption.

Jean-Michel Costes, head of the French drugs and addiction watchdog, OFDT, said yesterday that French cannabis use has soared in the past 15 years and is now almost on a par with Britain.

While the French drink half the amount they did in the 1960s, cannabis consumption among the 18–35 year olds has more than tripled since the early 1990s, the report found.

France is now just behind Britain, Spain, Switzerland, and Europe's heaviest cannabis users, the Czech Republic.

"There is a big cultural difference between France and England," Mr. Costes said. "Everyone drinks a bit in France, but as part of a meal, not in order to get merry. To do that, the young are turning to cannabis," he said.

A nationwide drink-driving awareness campaign and stricter controls have helped change drinking habits in favor of cannabis smoking.

"Young people who want to rebel don't want the "old-fashioned" image associated with wine and alcohol," Mr. Costes said. "Unlike in the U.K., binge-drinking is very uncommon — the French steer clear of hangovers or feeling ill.

"Our studies show that they are turning to cannabis because its effects reinforce their state of mind without fundamentally altering it. They don't want to get wasted."

His report found that in 2005 about a quarter of French people and half of 17-year olds said they had tried cannabis. More than a million are regular users and half a million smoke a "joint" every day.

Among the young, the number of regular cannabis users is now almost the same as regular alcohol drinkers.

Breton youths leave the rest of France behind in consumption of cannabis, and the western region also comes top of the alcohol consumption league.

"We think this has something to do with the Celtic connection," Mr. Costes said.

His findings also appeared to shatter the stereotype of the French leading a stress-free life with short working hours and plenty of holiday, as he pointed out that the French lead the world in the consumption of tranquillizers.