LIKE THE PARENTS

A survey of drinking, smoking and other drug use among teenagers shows that
not much has changed in recent years on most of those habits, except --
remarkably -- perhaps many fewer high school students are smoking.

A survey last spring by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba recorded a
precipitous drop in the percentage of kids who had smoked in the past year.
Such a trend, if it is not merely a result of survey weakness, defies the
trend nationally. It needs closer study to see if it holds a useful insight
into the fight against tobacco use.

A survey of drug use in 1997 by the AFM found that 47.1 per cent of
teenagers had smoked in the past year. That figure dropped remarkably to
39.5 per cent of the 4,680 high schoolers responding this year. Nationally,
Statistics Canada has been finding that the prevalence of 15 to 19 year
olds who smoke daily has stayed pretty level in the past 15 years, at about
20 per cent, with the habit among girls rising.

It may be that the survey, which tapped more rural high schools in the 1997
questionnaire, is reflecting an urban/rural dichotomy in smoking habits
among young people.

Or perhaps Manitoba teens are different, or something has triggered a
change here that could yield important hints about reducing the habit among
all Canadians. It is in the interest of parents and health departments
country-wide to check the numbers and dig a little further.

The use of pot and alcohol has not changed much between surveys, however,
with 81 per cent having drunk in the last year and 37.9 per cent using
cannabis. Attitudes towards these habits, however, are insightful. Alcohol
use was considered the most acceptable, while pot was considered harmless
by 20 per cent of the respondents. Interestingly, almost 50 per cent of the
teens said drug use was okay, as long as the user was in control of the
habit. More worrisome is the fact that while only about four per cent of
students thought it was okay to drink and drive, fully 20 per cent thought
smoking pot and driving was okay. Parental attitudes are a greater
influence over a teen's habit than their peers.

This survey indicates teenaged attitudes towards smoking, pot and alcohol
reflects those prevalent in society.

This should be instructive to parents and health authorities in their
approach to drug and alcohol use education. More hopeful is the fact that
while friends hold sway over a teen's decision to use drugs and alcohol,
parents remain the largest influence.

Adults should be checking their messages and changing them, if need be.