YOUTH & MEDIA: SEX, DRUGS AND GAY MARRIAGE - WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE
STAND

Young People May Have Reached A Consensus On Gay Marriage, But Are
Divided On The Legalization Of Marijuana, And Most Want To Raise The
Age Of Consent For Sex

GAY MARRIAGE

For Melissa Couto, allowing same-sex marriage is a matter of basic
human rights.

"If anyone is in love, then they should be able to do whatever they
want and the government shouldn't control what people do," says the
21-year-old who is studying jewellery arts at George Brown College in Toronto.

Ms. Couto is far from alone. A poll of 18- to 24-year-olds found that
69 per cent agree homosexuals and lesbians should be allowed to
marry. Support was highest among women, Quebeckers and respondents
with postgraduate degrees.

"That really says that there's a consensus among this generation,"
says Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute
(http://www.thedemocracyproject.ca), which commissioned the survey
along with the Innovative Research Group.

On the opening day of the election campaign, Conservative Leader
Stephen Harper said a government led by him would let MPs vote freely
to overturn legislation allowing gays and lesbians to marry.

The poll, which was provided to The Globe and Mail, the CBC and La
Presse, was completed on-line between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1 by a
representative sample of 2,979 young adults drawn from a database of
young Canadians who agreed to take part in surveys. Results are
considered accurate to within plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 19
times out of 20.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Perhaps surprisingly, the survey found that a bare majority -- 50 per
cent -- of young adults want smoking marijuana to be legalized.
Forty-two per cent believe it should not be legalized. Support for
legalizing pot is highest among British Columbians, Atlantic
Canadians, Quebeckers and men, while it is lowest among Prairie
residents and women.

AGE OF CONSENT

The poll also found 54 per cent of respondents want the legal age of
consent for sex to be raised. Thirty-six per cent of respondents say
it should be left at the current age of 14 years, while 2 per cent
believe it should be lowered. However, the findings were very
different in Quebec, where 56 per cent of young adults say the age of
consent should not change and 32 per cent think it should be raised.

OF THOSE CANADIANS AGED 18 TO 24 WHO BELIEVE SMOKING POT SHOULD BE LEGAL...

56%

Are fans of Gwen Stefani

54%

Are Green Day listeners

51%

Are admirers of 50 Cent

39%

Are fans of Destiny's Child

33%

Are Toby Keith listeners