Les Rencontres de Biarritz 2007 - THS 10

THE FRENCH CANNABIS POLICY
RÉSUMÉ / ABSTRACT
GATIGNOL C
LERT F
JAYLE D
The “2004-2008 French Government Plan for the Fight against illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol”,
coordinated by the Interministerial Mission for the Fight Against Drugs and Drug Addiction
(MILDT ), develops a comprehensive policy. Increase in cannabis experimentation and in regular
and daily use in the nineties lead to set cannabis in the governmental policy. At 18, 59% of
boys and 52% of girls have ever used cannabis in 2003. Furthermore, 18% of boys and 8% of girls
aged 17-8 regularly used cannabis (at least 10 times a month). As cannabis use has been normalised
among youth, the French cannabis policy aimed at reversing the trend in young cannabis
use and decreasing cannabis use by changing the image of cannabis, raising awareness of
cannabis risks, improving cannabis information and counselling services in order to enhance
behaviour changes. The French Cannabis Programme has four components: 1) communication
and information through mass media campaigns on the risks of cannabis abuse and large diffusion
of information booklets, targeting young people, parents and teachers respectively 2) adolescents
and parents with individual and anonymous information and counselling through a specific
cannabis hotline and cannabis clinics 3) a comprehensive school education program 4) the
development of research on cannabis dependence treatment. This policy was implemented in
2005: a TV and radio campaign was carried out in 2005. A general population survey shows
satisfaction scores were about 85%. Information booklets targeting youth, parents and education
staff have been widely distributed (around 4 000 000). From March to November 2005, 30
057 visits had been registered in 266 cannabis clinics recently created, including 21 449 for
cannabis users (71%). The cannabis hotline has received 80 calls a day on average. In 2006, a
second cannabis campaign will be launched on traffic accident related to combined alcoholcannabis
use; the first detailed data on functionning of cannabis clinics will be soon available
and allow a full evaluation of this new service; the school education programme will be expanded
according to the guidelines defined in 2005.
MOTS CLÉS / KEYWORDS
Non communiqué...
C. Gatignol, F. Lert, D. Jayle
MILDT- Interministerial Drug Coordinator, Paris, France
Mission Interministérielle de Lutte contre la Drogue et la Toxicomanie
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