Scotland is worst in the world for boys smoking cannabis

Boys in Scotland are more likely to smoke cannabis than their counterparts around the world, a big international study has found.

Almost a quarter of 15-year-olds (23 per cent) said they had used the drug, the highest overall rate for boys in any country surveyed, according to the World Health Organisation research.

Only girls living in Canada, where 25 per cent had smoked cannabis, scored higher.

The landmark study polled more than 4,000 young people living in Scotland as well as 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 different countries.

Concern has been raised after it was found that Scottish young people were more likely to have smoked cannabis than almost every country in Europe, central Asia and Canada.

Dr Jo Inchley, international