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LONDON, Dec 05, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers warn that smoking cannabis even for only a short time, damages the lungs of young people.
The researchers from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham tested smokers, non-smokers and cannabis users for lung function and their blood was also examined in a pilot study.
They found that regular cannabis smokers had poorer lung function than those who just smoked cigarettes and more severe problems than those who did not smoke at all, the London Daily Mail said.
Even after less than six years of smoking the drug, the ill effects were already being seen on their breathing, the finding showed.
"The consensus among many young people who use cannabis seems to be that they will not suffer any long-term effects as long as they stop smoking it early enough," Dr. Sarah Nuttall, a research fellow from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said. "However, this is clearly not the case."
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
