SMOKING LINKED TO DRUGS

OTTAWA (CP) -- Young people who smoke are much more likely than their
non-smoking peers to drink and abuse alcohol, and to use marijuana
and other illicit substances, says a report issued yesterday by the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

The report, based on data from a 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey,
examined the habits of 15- to 19-year-olds.

It found 26.7% of teens in the age bracket reported smoking
cigarettes at least occasionally in the year prior to the survey.

Among smoking youth, 97.7% reported drinking alcohol in the past
year, compared with 75.3% of non-smoking youth.

About 91% of smoking youth reported using cannabis in the past year,
compared with 28.8% of non-smokers.

Among the smokers, 31% reported using cocaine, heroin, amphetamines,
ecstasy or hallucinogens in the past year, compared with just 3.5% of
non-smoking youth.