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More Belgian teens seeking help for cannabis use

Xinhua, June 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Increasing numbers of Belgian teenagers are seeking help for cannabis use, De Standaard reported on Monday.

According to a report by the Flemish Association of Addiction Treatment Centres Care (VVBV), in 2013 495 boys and 78 girls aged between 15 and 19 sought assistance over continued use of the drug. In addition, 36 children under the age of 15 also asked for help.

The report also found that more and more women are seeking help for heroin and cocaine use.

Counselling services are now been targeted at the young.

"Young men with a cannabis addiction used to be all in their twenties before they took the step to recovery. In recent years, more and more 15- to 19-year olds are added, and they became a separate group in health care," said VVBV Chairman Dirk Vandevelde.

"Based on these figures, it is difficult to estimate whether it is youth who are experimenting or already have an advanced addiction, and how long they remain in counselling," he said.

Last week, a law allowing for the sale of medical marijuana was published in Belgium. The law will come into effect at the beginning of July. Amongst the drug's medical properties is the alleviation of pain for sufferers of conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Endit