SURVEY FINDS DRUG, BOOZE USE RISING

Pot and Injectable Drug Use Has Doubled Since 1994, and Alcohol Use Is
Also Increasing.

OTTAWA -- The number of Canadians who say they have used cannabis or
injectable drugs in the past year has doubled in a decade, according
to a major new survey. But addiction specialists still see alcohol
abuse as the greater problem.

Data from the Canada Addiction Survey, the most comprehensive
addictions survey ever done in Canada, present a disturbing picture of
a society increasingly dependent on mood-altering substances.

Fourteen per cent of respondents said they had used cannabis in the
last year, up from 7.4 per cent in 1994. About a third said they had
failed to control their cannabis use.

About 269,000 Canadians said they had used an injectable drug in the
past year, up from 132,000 in 1994. Nearly 4.1 million Canadians
reported using injectable drugs at least once in their life. That's up
from 1.7 million in 1994.

The proportion of drinkers rose to 79.3 per cent this year from 72.3
per cent in 1994. Seven per cent of respondents described themselves
as frequent heavy drinkers, up from 5.4 per cent in 1994.

Conservative justice critic Vic Toews said rising rates of abuse are
an indictment of federal drug policy.

"The Liberal drug strategy is failing," he said. "Safe injection sites
aren't safe.

"I am concerned about the decriminalization of marijuana or any other
drug."

Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said the government is not
legalizing marijuana. "All we're doing is changing the penalty regime."

"This is both a good news and bad news story," Michel Perron of the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse told a news conference.

"Despite the fact that most Canadians drink in moderation and without
harm we are concerned about heavy drinking among youth aged 18 to 24.

The reasons for the increasing substance use will become clearer as
data are analysed in greater detail, he said.

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DRUG USE FINDINGS

Highlights from the Canada Addiction Survey, released
yesterday.

44.5 per cent of Canadians reported using cannabis at least once in
their life, compared with 28.2 per cent in 1994.

45 per cent reported using some illegal drug at least once, up from
28.5 per cent in 1994.

14.1 per cent reported using cannabis in the last year, up from 7.4
per cent in 1994.

50.1 per cent of males used cannabis at least once in a
lifetime.

39.2 per cent of women used cannabis at least once.

79.3 per cent of Canadians reported using alcohol in the last
year.

7.3 per cent said they were lifelong teetotallers.

13.7 per cent said they were former drinkers and had not used
alcohol in the last year.

20.2 per cent reported heavy drinking at least once a month.