OUTAOUAIS KIDS SMOKE LESS, TOKE MORE

Outaouais youth may be sparking up more doobies than they did 10 years ago,
but tobacco consumption is on its way down, according to a study released
yesterday.

The survey found 34% of students use marijuana -- three times the number of
students who smoked pot 10 years earlier.

In fact, with tobacco usage having dropped to 28% in 2002 from 37% in 1996,
there are now more students smoking joints than cigarettes.

Conducted by the Outaouais public health and social services department
every five to six years since 1985, the study examined the lifestyles of
francophone public-school youth between the ages of 12 and 18. This first
part of the study looked at alcohol and drug consumption, including
tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, glue and chemical drugs like stimulants,
tranquilizers and hallucinogens.

'VERY SATISFIED'

"We are very satisfied with the decrease in tobacco usage," said public
health director Lucie Lemieux. "I think tobacco use was the No. 1 concern
in public health. We are very satisfied with this progress and want to
maintain it and continue to improve."

Opting to focus on the positives, Lemieux applauded that one-third of
students indicated they used neither alcohol nor drugs -- including tobacco.

Public health officials wouldn't attribute the increase in marijuana use to
the current debate over its decriminalization, but admitted availability,
perceived risk and social stigma do play a role in a youth's decision to
use a substance.

While the spike in pot smoking came as a bit of a surprise, Lemieux said it
is consistent with what's happening elsewhere in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.

While use of alcohol, cocaine and glue saw little change since 1996,
officials credit the rave culture to a 6% increase in chemical drug use --
particularly among 16-18-year-olds, where consumption rose to 21% in 2002
from 10% in 1996.