TEENS USING DRUGS, BOOZE AT EARLY AGE, SURVEY SHOWS

TORONTO (CP) - A first-ever look at alcohol and drug use among young
Canadian teenagers by the country's statistics collectors reveals a few
things some parents might find unsettling.

A significant proportion of kids is getting an early start on experimenting
with illicit substances, suggests the survey, the first time Statistics
Canada has asked 12- to 15-year-olds about drinking and drugs.

Nearly half reported they'd had at least one drink and nearly a quarter
admitted they'd been drunk at least once. One in five confessed to having
smoked pot.

The youngest children in the survey sample weren't asked about
hallucinogens, but 11 per cent of the 14- and 15-year-olds reported having
tried these drugs.

Because this is the first look at this age group, the authors can't say
whether those figures are higher or lower than previous generations of
young teens. But an expert in the field said the age of experimentation has
dropped over the past decade.