Fewer than one in 10 Maltese youths have smoked cannabis at least once in their lifetime, the lowest in Europe, according to a recent study.

A Eurobarometer study on young people and drugs, found that 92 per cent of Maltese adolescents had never smoked cannabis.

Asked what future legislation could best control the substance, nearly two-thirds thought cannabis should continue to be banned while the rest felt it should be made available under strict controls.

Twenty per cent thought the government should introduce tougher penalties for marijuana smokers and 17 per cent called for the plant to be made legal.

The Maltese were among the most concerned when it came to the health risks of the drug. Two-thirds thought it would be very risky to smoke cannabis regularly and a quarter of respondents felt this would pose a medium level of risk.

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