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Drug Use Among Ontario Students
on the Rise According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health --
New Virtual Product Helps Address
the Problem
Drug Awareness Week
November 14 to 20, 1999
For
immediate release: November 15, 1999, 10:30 a.m., TORONTO, ON -- Drug,
alcohol and tobacco use among Ontario students is on the rise, according to the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health's 1999 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS).
"The
1999 survey results confirm the continuing upswing in drug use among Ontario youth
that we have been seeing since 1993," says Dr. Edward Adlaf, lead scientist
for the OSDUS at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "During the '80s
we witnessed large declines in student drug use. However, since 1993 use of drugs
has been moving upward, to the point where current rates do not differ appreciably
from the late '70s."
The
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's 1999 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey is
the most recent in a series of surveys, released every two years since 1977. Unlike
previous surveys, which sampled students in Grade 7, 9, 11,13, this year the OSDUS
surveyed students in all grades from 7 to 13 inclusive. The surveys are administered
by the Institute for Social Research, York University.
Since
1993:
- The percentage of students who drink alcohol rose significantly to 65.7% from
56.5% in 1993. Of equal importance, more students reported weekly drinking (from
14.4% to 19.7%) and drinkers reported more episodes of heavy drinking (consumption
of five or more drinks on a single occasion) rising to 42.4% from 30.5% in 1993.
- Cannabis has been on a significant upward swing since 1993, with 29.2% of students
reporting use over the past year, up from 12.7% in 1993.
- Although rates of smoking have been stable since 1995, the 1999 rate of 28.3%
is significantly higher than 23.8% in 1993.
- The percentage of students using no drugs has dropped from 36.3% in 1993 to 26.8%
in 1999.
In
1999, 11% of Ontario students reported hazardous drinking, and 40% of those students
also reported impaired mental health. In addition, 6.5% of students reported being
unable to stop using drugs, compared to 2.9% in 1997.
Since
1997, there has been a significant increase in the use of eight of the 20 drugs surveyed,
based on the results from students in grades 7, 9, 11 and 13.
Alcohol -- from 59.6% to 65.7%
Cannabis --from 24.9% to 29.2%
Hallucinogens -- from 10.1% to 13.6%
Glue -- from 1.5% to 3.8%
Solvents -- from 2.6% to 7.3%
Non-medical barbiturates -- from 2.5% to 4.4%
Medical barbiturates -- from 6.0% to 11.5%
Medical stimulants -- from 3.7% to 6.6%
The
study also looked at subgroup differences, including gender, grade and regional.
- Females reported higher rates of solvent and non-medical stimulant use, whereas
males reported higher rates of use of alcohol, cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine,
LSD, hallucinogens, cocaine, ice and crack.
- Drug use was lowest among 7th-graders and highest
among 11th-graders, with the exception of inhalants
which showed greater use among younger students.
- Regional differences occurred only for the use of alcohol, where students from
Northern Ontario reported the highest rate at 77.6%, followed by the West at 70.5%,
the East at 65.4% and Toronto at 59.4%.
According
to the study, weakening perception of risk of harm and moral disapproval of drug
use, and increasing perceived availability of drugs are three factors that have added
to the increasing rates of drug use.
The
number of students that reported driving within one hour of consuming two or more
drinks has remained stable from 1997 (15.6%) to 1999 (16.3%), but has declined significantly
since 1977 (58.1%).
One
positive finding is that students are not using alcohol, tobacco or cannabis at earlier
ages. In fact, fewer 7th-graders in 1999 used cigarettes
by grade 4 than did 7th-graders in 1981.
The
OSDUS has been instrumental in providing the basis for Ontario youth programming
as it relates to drugs and alcohol. This year, the Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health in partnership with the Peterborough County-City Health Unit launches its
first interactive web-based product for youth about alcohol. This new product is
complemented by a roster of other youth programs available across the province.
The
Virtual Party simulates a party situation, where youth have to make real life decisions
about alcohol, drinking and driving, dating activity and drug
use. This product, targeted at youth between the ages of 13 and 19, was developed
for youth -- by youth and can be found at www.virtual-party.org.
The
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health was created in 1998 through the successful
merger of the Addiction Research Foundation, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry,
the Donwood Institute and the Queen Street Mental Health Centre. The Centre is a
teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.
As
a part of the Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership (ODAP), the Centre joins the Alcohol
and Drug Concerns Inc., the Alcohol Policy Network, association of Local Public Health
Agencies, Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario, the Council on Drug
Abuse, Parents Against Drugs, and Society of St. Vincent De Paul in celebrating Drug
Awareness Week, Nov. 14 Ñ20.
-30-
Ontario Student Drug Use Survey
Executive Summary
For
more information, please contact Christa Haanstra, Public Affairs at (416) 595-6015
or by pager at (416) 664-4652; email Christa_Haanstra@camh.net.
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1-800-463-6273