SURVEY SHOWS YOUTH DRUG USE UP IN PAST DECADE

Binge Drinking Admitted By One In Four

In this continuing series based on teens' questions asked at Canterbury
High School, today's column looks at the drug issue, which is all too often
intertwined with the issue of sex among teenagers.

The 2001 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, a study conducted by the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) every two years since 1977, looked
at legal and illicit drug use by more than 4,200 students from Grade 7 to OAC.

"The 1980s were a period of decline of drug use, the '90s had a resurgence
and in 2001 the good news is that illicit drug use among youth isn't
growing -- the bad news is it's still higher than it was in the early
'90s," according to Dr. Edward Adlaf, the senior scientist at CAMH and
associate professor at the University of Toronto who conducted the study.

For the first time since 1991, the survey did not show any year-over-year
increase in drug use. However, most measures continue to be significantly
greater than the 1993 rates. Alcohol remains the top dog in this
department. In 2001, 63 per cent of students drank, versus 57 per cent in 1993.

Further, binge drinking -- defined as downing five or more drinks at one
time -- was reported by 25 per cent of youth in 2001, compared with 18 per
cent in 1993. Inebriation rates increased from 17 per cent in 1993 to 27
per cent in 2001.

Between 1999 and 2001, cigarette use declined from 29 to 24 per cent,
solvents from seven to six per cent and LSD from seven to five per cent.

The student drug-use survey highlights include:

- - Students today are not using alcohol, tobacco or cannabis at an early age.

- - The percentage of new users has not increased over time.

- - Although rates of drinking and driving among licensed students remained
stable at 15 per cent, about 32 per cent of all students report being a
passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking, and 19 per
cent of drivers reported driving after using cannabis.

- - Perceptions about the risks of using cannabis, cocaine and LSD seem to be
weakening over time.

- - Toronto students use alcohol at a lower-than-average rate, while western
Ontario students report above-average use of cannabis, heroin,
methamphetamine, cocaine, crack, hallucinogens and ecstasy. Northern
Ontario students have a higher rate of alcohol and binge drinking.

- - Females reported higher rates of non-medical stimulant use, while males
reported higher rates of heavy drinking, cannabis, glue, methamphetamine,
LSD and hallucinogens.

- - Drug use was lowest among 7th-graders and highest among 11th-or
12th-graders -- with the exception of inhalants, that showed greater use
among younger students.

These statistics correlate with the questions students pose in the
classroom. Teens want to know what drugs will do to them. Their questions
are to the point and reflect an interesting dichotomy between immediate
versus long-term harm.

They seek a frame of reference to compare the risk by invoking another drug
or activity for risk assessment comparisons.

These Grade 9 questions reflect a desire to understand the issues:

"What are the side-effects of the drug mescaline? What is it?"

"My best friend used to be anorexic and bulimic and now uses a whole bunch
of drugs. Her parents know, but they refuse to take action. All of her
friends are the same way. What do I do?"

"How fast will smoking kill you, 'cause I don't want to die?"

"Is it true you lose brain cells if you do drugs? If so, what exactly do
drugs do to you?"

"How do I tell my parents about my drinking problem?"

"My friend throws up every time she gets drunk. This is normal, but the
same things happens when she smokes marijuana. Is she allergic? If so, how
can she find out the consequences of trying acid or other drugs?"

"Does alcohol stunt the growth of your boobs or anything else? Also, if you
drink a lot as a teen but stop after a few years, will you have liver
problems?"

"I've been doing drugs for a while and probably done just about every drug
you can think of. I also get depressed a lot and I find drugs help me to
escape for a while. I don't want to quit drugs, but I want the depression
to go away. What should I do?"

"I heard that smoking pot does not harm you at all because it is a natural
drug, but all that is harmful is the smoke. Is this true?"

"Is there such a thing as a weekend alcoholic?"

"If one of my parents is an alcoholic, what are my chances of being an
alcoholic?"

"Some of my friends that smoke weed, their grade-point average is going
down. I smoke about two to three times a week, but it hasn't really
affected my school work. Why is that?"

"If you do drugs and have a high tolerance level, does it have the same
effect on the body and mind?"

"What effect does cocaine have on a person if they done it just once? Or more?"

"What would be the difference smoking weed or smoking weed laced with cocaine?"

"How long do drugs stay in your bloodstream? If the doctor takes a urine
sample, can they detect drugs?"

"When my friends are talking about drinking or getting drunk, it makes me
feel very uneasy. What should I say to them? I don't want them to get
drunk. I feel very scared about alcohol and what it can do to you."

Our teens want our help. Their questions call out for guidance through the
maze of half-truths and peer pressure. Most parents have the unique
opportunity to guide their children through the morass.

Dr. Joanne Tannenbaum and I will discuss these issues and provide a tool
kit for parents and teens at tonight's public forum on teen sex and drug
use at the Citizen's conference centre. Bring your questions. (Register by
phone at 596-3664.)