B.C. LEADING NATION IN DRUG USE

Survey Points To An Increase In Users Across The Country

The number of illicit drug users in Canada doubled in the past decade,
and B.C. holds the dubious distinction of leading the way on most
fronts, according to a national survey released Wednesday.

The Canadian Addiction Survey shows 14 per cent of Canadians reported
using marijuana and other illicit drugs in the past year, compared to
just seven per cent in 1994.

Of particular concern, more young Canadians are smoking pot and
drinking heavily, researchers said.

B.C. reported the highest rates of marijuana use and other illicit
drug use in the country, and among the highest rates of harm caused by
drug or alcohol use.

"It's always a concern when you're leading a trend that you might not
want to lead," said Dan Reist of B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research.

But he cautioned that B.C.'s numbers require more study, and may be
slightly skewed.

Reist said the issue's high profile in B.C. may have resulted in more
British Columbians that use drugs agreeing to take part in the survey.

The survey, which was conducted from December 2003 to April 2004,
found that one in two British Columbians or 52 per cent reported using
marijuana in their lifetime, compared with 45 per cent of all Canadians.

About 17 per cent of B.C. residents said they had used marijuana in
the past year, while just 14 per cent of Canadians said they had.

Reist said B.C. researchers will spend the next year analyzing the
province's numbers in more detail and publishing a series of policy
papers.

He noted that drugs and alcohol have a "huge impact" on society, with
illnesses related to the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit
substances responsible for almost a quarter of B.C.'s health-care costs.

"So, in that sense, when we're in a bit of a crisis around health-care
spending, it's very important to start dealing with these things," he
said.

Brenda Locke, minister of addiction services, said government will
await more study by the addictions centre.

Across Canada, the survey found that most Canadians over 15 drink, and
that they do so in moderation and without harm. But the survey showed
an increase in heavy drinking among young people, who were more likely
to harm themselves when drinking and more likely to be harmed, said
Patricia Begin, director of research and policy at the Canadian Centre
on Substance Abuse.

The researchers also expressed concern about the rise in marijuana use
among young people. Almost 30 per cent of 15- to 17-year-olds, and
more than 47 per cent of 18- to 19-year-olds stated that they had used
marijuana in the past year.

Begin said those figures are troubling because 18 per cent of
marijuana users, regardless of age, reported using the drug on a daily
basis.

If young people are smoking marijuana that often, it could have "real
implications for their ability to complete their studies or their
options for the future," Begin said.

Marijuana use, particularly if it is heavy, can affect a person's
cognitive functioning, Reist said. Researchers, therefore, worry about
the potential long-term effects of heavy use on adolescents whose
brains are still developing. "It's not about saying we know for sure,"
Reist said. "It's just a worrying issue."

He also noted that smoking pot can lower a person's motivation. "If
you go through your teenage years with low motivation, what does that
do to your life prospects?"

Almost 14,000 Canadians age 15 and older were interviewed by telephone
for the survey, which was sponsored by Health Canada, the Canadian
Executive Council on Addictions, B.C.'s Centre for Addictions
Research, and the B.C., Nova Scotia and New Brunswick governments.
People were interviewed between Dec. 16, 2003 and April 19, 2004. The
survey's margin of error is one per cent, 19 times out of 20 on the
national results.