STUDY: DRUG USE ON THE RISE AMONG YOUTH

Young drug users in Langley are doing no better, or worse, than their
neighbours - they are continuing to use drugs and are doing so at an
increased rate.

Drug use among Langley youth is mirroring the rest of the Lower Mainland -
it's on the rise.

The use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs among youth aged 12 to 24 is
increasing in Langley and in other communities, according to a youth drug
use survey conducted and published by Pacific Community Resources (formerly
Nisha Family and Children's Services Society).

Rates of use for all drugs appear to be on the rise and the age of fist use
of alcohol and drugs is low.

Alcohol remains the top drug of choice for youths, followed by marijuana,
ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine (speed or crystal meth) and heroin.

"There's been an increase across the board for all these drugs," said Tom
Hetherington, manager of addiction services.

"Drugs and alcohol are a big part of our culture. It's becoming quite
commonplace."

There is a definite increase in harder drugs with alcohol remaining more
stable, Hetherington said, and a noted increase in alcohol consumption
among female youth.

The survey, conducted last summer, was released yesterday. PCR surveyed
close to 2,000 youth aged 12 to 24 in the communities of
Langley/Aldergrove, Burnaby/New Westminster, Vancouver, Surrey, Delta,
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows. About 300 youth in each area were selected from
public locations such as parks, beaches and bus stops.

The numbers obtained were compared to figures from provincial studies
conducted in 1993 and 1998.

The PCR study revealed that 58.3 per cent of the youth surveyed said they
had used alcohol in the last 30 days and 41.7 per cent said they had used pot.

In Langley, those numbers are 58.9 per cent and 42.6 per cent respectively.

The average age of first use of alcohol in Langley is 12 years and
marijuana is 13 years.

"You (Langley/Aldergrove) seem to be very close to the survey average,"
Hetherington said.

The survey also looked at the difference between male and female users. Of
those surveyed, Langley/Aldergrove had the highest percentage of male youth
using drugs at 62.9, the next closest being Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows at
52.6 per cent.

Accessibility of drugs was also looked at by the study. In
Langley/Alder-grove, close to 85 per cent said they were able to purchase
marijuana and alcohol in 24 hours. About 55 per cent said ecstacy was
available within a day and about half said methamphetamine or speed and
cocaine were also available in the same time period.

These figures are also consistent with the study's averages.

The survey also found that youth attending school had a lower rate of
alcohol and drug use compared to those not attending or seldom at school.

One of the more significant findings was the fact that youth identified
their parents as the group they trust the most when it comes to discussing
drugs, but that they get their sources of information from friends first.

"Parents have a lot more impact on their kids than they think they do,"
Hetherington said. "We should pay more attention to educating parents."

The study makes recommendations in the three areas of prevention, treatment
and intervention and Harm reduction. It recommends a comprehensive
prevention strategy, intervention for at-risk youth and the creation of an
integrated policy to address substance use and harm reduction.

The full survey is available on line at www.pcrs.ca.

At A Glance:

Youth Drug Survey

Percentage of Langley/Aldergrove youth who admitted to using drugs over the
past 30 days:

Alcohol 58.9%

Marijuana 42.6%

Cocaine 8.8%

Meth/Speed 7.4%

Ecstasy 5.6%

Heroin 3.2%

314 youth (12-24 years) surveyed

Source: Lower Mainland Youth Drug Use Survey by Pacific Community Resources