HALF OF HIGH SCHOOLERS BINGE DRINK

More than half of Canada's senior high school students admit to
drinking to excess at least once in the last month, while a smaller
group even concedes driving within an hour of consuming alcohol,
results of a new national report suggests.

Between 41 and 52 per cent of Grade 12 students said they've consumed
five or more drinks at one time in the past month while 12 to 20 per
cent reported driving within an hour of having two or more drinks,
according to the Cross Canada Report on Student Alcohol and Drug Use,
released Monday.

Another 15 to 27 per cent said they used cannabis in the last month,
with another three to 10 per cent admitting to daily or almost daily
marijuana use.

About 14 to 21 per cent reported driving within an hour of using the
drug.

The startling statistics are a reflection of alcohol and drug use
among junior high and high school students across Canada, its authors
say. The estimates are provided as a range because data has been
assembled using a series of provincial student survey results provided
by various jurisdictions.

"We are concerned about the health and safety of those students
engaging in excessive use of alcohol and cannabis as this pattern of
use is more highly associated with harms," Dr. Matthew Young, lead
investigator in the study, said in a release.

He noted that students' alcohol and drug use could have a negative
effect on their academic performance and boost their risk of
developing mental health disorders.

"We are also concerned about the rates of impaired driving. There are
misconceptions that driving under the influence of cannabis does not
affect ability to drive. This is simply not the case," Young said.

The report said that from 2000 to 2007, 47 per cent of all drivers 19
years of age or younger who died in traffic fatalities had tested
positive for either alcohol or drugs.

While the prevalence of alcohol and marijuana use spiked in the high
school seniors group, data also showed that the majority of younger
students, between Grades 7 and 9, were avoiding drinking and drugs.

"It is important that those in their early teen years know that the
majority of their peers are not using alcohol or other drugs," Young
said. "This fact may influence their decisions whether or not to start
or continue using in the future."