FEWER STUDENTS SMOKE, USE DRUGS

Legal and illegal drug use among Ontario students in grades 7 to 12
dropped last year for the first time in over a decade.

Fewer students are using alcohol, tobacco and marijuana at an early
age.

But the 2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey released by the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health last month says binge drinking,
frequent marijuana use and risky behaviour related to alcohol and
other drug use continue to be problems.

Student tobacco smoking is at its lowest rate since 1977. Fourteen per
cent of students surveyed smoke.

The use of illicit drugs has declined since 2003, with 71 per cent of
students saying they had not used such drugs in the last year.

Although cannabis did not decline between 2003 and 2005, the use of
many drugs including hallucinogens, methamphetamine and heroin is down.

Alcohol use declined also but 14 per cent of students who are licensed
drivers continue to drink and drive, while 20 per cent said they drove
within one hour of smoking cannabis.

The survey also estimate how many students use OxyContin or "Hillbilly
Heroin" and found it reported by 1 per cent of them.