BINGE DRINKING UP

Among High Schoolers, Says AFM

Heavy drinking among high school students is on the rise, even though
overall fewer appear to be drinking booze, says a new Addictions
Foundation of Manitoba report.

The binge drinking revelation was an alarming piece of the teen
alcohol and drug use study, which included some good news: there has
been a drop in the use of marijuana, magic mushrooms and crystal meth
among teens.

Ecstasy use, however, increased slightly, possibly because students
see it as a safe drug compared with others, said John Borody, AFM's
CEO.

"No drug is really safe. We have seen examples where ecstasy has been
laced with meth," he said.

For the teens who drink heavily, it may be a matter of monkey-see,
monkey-do.

"A lot of the drinking behaviours that we see in youths are mimicked
from what they see their parents do," Borody said.

In national studies on alcohol use and binge drinking, Manitoba rates
higher than the national average, he said.

AFM polled almost 5,000 students from 55 randomly selected middle and
high schools in Manitoba.

The report calls for more education and targeted interventions.

More than half of all students, about 55%, said they drank alcohol in
the past year, the study found.

Almost half of all drinkers had five or more drinks on one occasion,
while a quarter had eight or more.

Borody said binge drinking, defined by AFM as consuming five or more
drinks in one sitting, is not an epidemic in Manitoba as in some U.S.
states.

A lot of high school students may be at significant risk of
alcoholism, the report found.

"Kids that start drinking earlier have a better chance of developing a
problem later in life," Borody said.

Maples Collegiate students who talked to the Winnipeg Sun yesterday
gave varied opinions about the findings.

Some said they don't think heavy drinking is a problem, while others
said they see it at parties every weekend.

Grade 12 student Melanie La, 16, said it happens a lot. "It's just the
generation now. Some people think it's cool. I don't think it's cool,"
she said.

"A lot of people are pressured into doing it," said classmate Krista
Capulong, 17.

The pair said their school hosts presentations on the dangers of binge
drinking and impaired driving, another concern cited in AFM's report.

Nearly 40% of all respondents said they have been in a car with a
driver who has been drinking, while 22% said they got a ride from
someone who had used marijuana.