SURVEY SAYS BOOZE, POT TRUMP METH

The most recent study about drug use among high school students has
good news. But it also provides information to suggest the
provincially funded strategy to deal with crystal meth is aimed at the
wrong target.

The study was published in the most recent issue of the B.C. Medical
Journal. Researchers were looking at drug use generally, but more
specifically they were looking at the use of four so-called "club
drugs" often turning up at raves and dances: crystal meth, ecstasy,
ketamine and GHB.

This survey, involving 607 students, was actually done three years ago
and focused on kids in grades 9 to 12 in two Victoria high schools and
four high schools in Vancouver. The authors of the report caution that
this does not necessarily reflect what is going on
provincewide.

That said, it provides ample evidence to suggest our schools are not
being overwhelmed by crystal meth, although there is no doubt it is a
harmful and addictive substance.

Of all drugs used, alcohol was most common with 48 per cent of
students reporting they used it within the previous month. More
students smoked marijuana [28 per cent] than tobacco [20 per cent] in
the previous month.

That may not surprise you, or please you. But on the use of crystal
meth, which has been declared by some at epidemic proportion, the vast
majority of students [86 per cent] said they have never used crystal
meth or any of the other club drugs. The study found only five per
cent of students used crystal meth in the past year and only .8 per
cent of the students used crystal meth in the previous month.

And students who use crystal meth tend to be multiple drug
users.

So what does this tell us? First, if you are looking for kids to
target for crystal meth use, don't go to high schools. Try the
streets. Heavy users inevitably drop out of school.

Second, if you want to target drug users in schools, look at multiple
drug users. Focusing on crystal meth misses the point.

But if you want to get the most bang for your drug-prevention buck,
start focusing drug intervention programs on specific user targets,
instead of the scattergun approach now used.