DRINKING RISES WITH THE POT SMOKE IN ONTARIO

Economic Turmoil, Workplace and Family Demands May Be Behind Trend,
Study Official Says

People in Canada's most populous province are drinking alcohol more
often and smoking dope in larger proportions -and psychological
distress is more widespread there, according to the latest data from a
long-running study of Ontario residents.

These are findings from surveys conducted in 2009, the latest in a
series of studies that have been performed since 1977 by the
Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Robert Mann, the centre's senior scientist and lead investigator on
the study, said it's unclear whether there is a relationship between
trends seen in the use of alcohol and cannabis, and feelings of mental
wellbeing. However, he said there could be some connections.

"We know that heavy use of cannabis is associated with higher levels
of psychological distress among individuals," he said. "There may be a
pattern here with the increased daily drinking that we're seeing as
well, and perhaps people are trying to cope with stress in their lives."

Mann said there might be a variety of factors underlying these trends,
including the economic turmoil of recent years, increased stress from
changing family structures and workplace demands, as well as changing
social norms as different generations age.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health calls itself Canada's
largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, but its mandate
is focused on Ontario. Mann said it's unknown if the findings would
apply to Canada as a whole.

The latest data show the proportion of people surveyed who drank
alcohol daily -among those who drink at all -rose to 9.3 per cent in
2009, up from 5.3 per cent in 2002.

The percentage of people who drink alcohol remained consistent at
about 80 per cent over the past decade.

With regard to cannabis use, the centre's study found the rate had
risen to 13.3 per cent of survey respondents in 2009 from 11.5 per
cent in 2002 and 9.1 per cent in 1997.

Usage growth among those between the ages of 18 and 29 was
particularly striking, rising to 35.8 per cent in 2009 from 21.4 per
cent in 1997.

Mann said cannabis use among high school students bottomed out in the
1990s but has generally increased since then to the point where it is
now the second-most used substance for adolescents next to alcohol
- -surpassing even cigarettes.

As the recent generation of high school students became young adults,
it affected usage rates among those in the 18-29 age category, he said.

The survey also showed 14.7 per cent of respondents indicated they
felt "elevated psychological distress" within the few weeks before
being interviewed. That compared to 12.7 per cent in 2000, the
earliest for which this data was available.

The study results are based on phone interviews with 2,037 Ontario
residents aged 18 and older in 2009. Results involving the whole
sample are representative of the province's population within 1.9
percentage points, 19 times out of 20.