LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
A comment on the editorial "Uso de maconha na adolescência e risco de esquizofrenia (Cannabis use in adolescence and risk of schizophrenia)
EA Carlini; José Carlos Galduróz; Ana Regina Noto; Solange A Nappo
CEBRID Brazilian Information Center on Psychotropic Drugs
In this editorial the authors K Weiser, M Weiser e M Davidson commented that:
'In the Brazilian population, a recent study by SENAD (National Antidrug Agency) reported that 9% of adolescents (our emphasis) have already used cannabis at least once in lifetime. This concept (our emphasis), however, has been contested by recent longitudinal studies ...This should warn us to the fact that the 'naïve' use (authors' quotes) of drugs ... "
Due to the authors' unintended confusion, we believe necessary to provide some explanations:
1) The cited study was planned and developed by CEBRID (Brazilian Information Center on Psychotropic Drugs) of UNIFESP/ EPM (Federal University of São Paulo/ Paulista Medical School); SENAD has only sponsored the study;
2) In our study, 6.9% of the interviewed population, aged 12 to 65 years, claimed having used cannabis at least once in lifetime; therefore, figures were not of 9% of adolescents who stated such use;
3) The concept of lifetime use cannot be contested by the 'recent longitudinal studies', as they have different methodological designs. In fact, lifetime use only reveals that the person has used the drug at least once in his/her life, i.e., one, two, ten or thousand times;
4) Therefore, the statement suggesting that lifetime use can be a 'naive' one may be contested.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
28 Oct 2004 -
Date of issue
June 2004
