GRADE 12 BOOZE, MARIJUANA USE HIGH, REPORT SAYS

OTTAWA -- Significant percentages of senior high school students
report drinking to excess and some admit driving under the influence
of alcohol or marijuana, a new study reports.

Authors of the Cross Canada Report on Student Alcohol and Drug Use,
released Monday, are sounding the alarm about alcohol and cannabis use
among students in grades 10-12.

The report, published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and
the Student Drug Use Surveys Working Group, specifically highlights
the percentages of Grade 12 students who report drinking to excess,
using marijuana daily and/or driving after either drinking or using
marijuana.

Study estimates are provided as a range because data are mined from a
collection of regular surveys provided by participating provinces.

The report found among Grade 12 students, 41 to 52 per cent report
consuming five or more drinks on one occasion in the past month. The
study found 12 to 20 per cent report going behind the wheel within an
hour of having two or more drinks.

As for cannabis use, 15 to 27 per cent of Grade 12 students report
using the drug within the past month. Some three to 10 per cent report
daily or almost daily marijuana use, while 14 to 21 per cent report
driving within an hour of using the drug.