guess this be the govts fault as well ..........................
The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet, found that New Zealand and Australia share the highest rate of cannabis usage, with an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of people aged between 15 and 64 who smoke the drug.
The study also found the two countries share the highest rate of usage of drugs such as speed and crystal methamphetamine, with 2.8 per cent of their populations having ingested, injected or inhaled them over a 12-month period.
The figures aren't unexpected, says New Zealand Drug Foundation executive Ross Bell.
"Those kind of figures come out each year," he told NZ Newswire. "It does seem to be the case that richer countries like us... do tend to have relatively high rates of drug use and that will always be an issue."
In Asia, the region with the lowest cannabis usage, rates were between 1.2 and 2.5 per cent.
Drug Detection Agency CEO Kirk Hardy says New Zealanders' relaxed views towards cannabis are partly to blame for the high usage rates.
"That kind of attitude we've got to change, because cannabis is a gateway drug and it does lead onto the likes of methamphetamine or heroin or other types of drugs."
Mr Hardy says new ways to deal with drug problems need to be looked at. "I think we need to start stepping outside of the square and look at a multi-pronged approach."
He says there needs to be better education programmes for young people and more proactive rehabilitation measures.
At least 200 million people worldwide use illegal drugs, with cannabis being the most popular, according to the research.
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/mp/12527761/no-surprise-nzers-top-cannabis-users/
