SUBSTANCE USE AMONG EAST KOOTENAY YOUTH TRENDING DOWNWARDS, SURVEY SHOWS

The latest East Kootenay Adolescent Drug Use Survey, conducted by the
East Kootenay Addiction Services Society (EKASS), has found a positive
change in behaviour among the youth of the region.

The biennial survey (occurring once every two years) was sent to every
one of the 5,124 students in Grades 7 to 12 in School Districts 5, 6,
and 8. The return rate was almost 75 per cent, so analysis was
conducted on 3,781 surveys. "As a sample, this is an excellent number
to get results from," said Dean Nicholson, with EKASS.

This year's survey focused on trends over the previous surveys (2005,
2007, 2009) and data compiled in 2011. Nicholson said the results show
a lot of positive changes.

This year's survey focused on several target goals, taking into
account the information from the previous surveys, Nicholson said.

- - The overall number of users: The survey data shows a sharp decline
in the numbers who use alcohol or smoke marijuana, while the numbers
who say they've never tried alcohol or marijuana are up.

- - The average age that users actually started using: Data shows little
change (12.5 years old in 205, 12.8 year old in 2011).

- - The number who used marijuana during school hours: The data shows a
significant drop in this use.

- - The number who engage in binge drinking: The numbers are
down.

- - The number who drink and drive, or have been a passenger in a
vehicle with someone who has been drinking: The numbers are down.

- - Tobacco use: There has been a steady reduction in tobacco use since
2007

One of the significant conclusions to be drawn from the survey is that
use in the East Kootenay is declining at a faster rate than the
provincial average. EKASS compared results with the McCreary Centre
Society, which conducts a similar B.C. survey.

"The East Kootenay has always been a high using area," Nicholson said.
It used to be about 10 per cent higher than the provincial average.
Now it's dropped down to the provincial average.

After the results of the first survey in 2005, counselors at EKASS
decided to modify their approach to substance use prevention and
education. A major shift was to move away from the traditional 'fear
based' approaches and approaches that simply focused on the effects of
different substances. Instead education shifted to providing accurate
information to youth regarding substance use rates, patterns and risk.
The information was also designed to be developmentally appropriate,
interactive and targeted to specific audiences.

One of the major changes was to reduce the focus on 'harder' drugs,
such as cocaine, heroin and amphetamines, which only a very small
minority of youth were found to be using, and to invest more attention
on the substances that the majority of youth were using, namely
alcohol and marijuana. Another goal was to dispel the myth that
'everyone is doing it', and to encourage youth to delay using or
reduce use if they were already using. At the same time, the education
message focused at reducing the incidence of risk behaviours
associated with alcohol and marijuana use, such as binge drinking,
impaired driving, and using during school time.

While there is no firm conclusion that the education programs in place
have resulted in the overall decrease in substance use and risky
behaviour, Nicholson said there is evidence that suggests the EKASS
message, along with programs like Community Prevention and Education
Continuum (CPEC), which includes the EKASS programs and programs like
DARE and PARTY, could be having a positive effect on youth.