SURVEY FINDS STUDENT CANNABIS USE RISING, TOBACCO USE FALLING

Alcohol remains by far the most widely used drug by students with cannabis
now second

The number of tobacco smokers in P.E.I. schools is going down while those
using cannabis is climbing, making pot the number two drug after alcohol,
according to a recent survey released on Tuesday.

Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Van Til unveiled results of a study led by
Dalhousie University that looked at drug use among students in P.E.I., New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

What she found is that the years of anti-tobacco campaigns and smoking
restrictions seem to be paying off in terms of non-smoking youth.

"The trend definitely is on the downward swing for cigarettes," said Van
Til, an investigator with the Department of Health and Social Services.

She noted that a disturbing increase in female smoking that had been found
in past studies seems to have receded. Numbers from 2002 show that 19 per
cent of male students and 18 per cent of female students smoke.

Van Til said alcohol remains by far the most widely used drug among students
and that drinking behaviour is a strong predictor of other drug use.

"Students who use alcohol are also the students who use tobacco and
cannabis," she said.

"It seems like we have been quite successful in reducing tobacco use but
that hasn't translated into reduced use of other drugs."

The study relied on the anonymous answers of 2,416 randomly chosen students
from P.E.I.'s grades 7, 9, 10 and 12 classes. Its authors say drug use may
actually be higher than numbers suggest because of the tendency of people to
under-report their use.

The researchers found that alcohol remains the most popular drug among
Island teens, with 81 per cent of Grade 12 students drinking in the past
year. Overall, 49 per cent of students said they drank.

Among students who used alcohol, the study showed that they did it with the
aim of getting drunk. Just 13 per cent of students said they had consumed
less than five drinks at a sitting, while 26 per cent said they had more
than five drinks at a sitting.

Cannabis was used by 27 per cent of students surveyed and by 41 per cent of
Grade 12 students. Overall, cannabis use is at the highest level recorded in
any of the seven drug use surveys conducted since 1972.

By comparison, the number of students who reported smoking more than one
cigarette is in decline, with 18 per cent of students reporting use in the
last year.

The number of student smokers has declined at all the grade levels surveyed
in every study since 1982 when half of the students surveyed said they had
smoked tobacco.

The study found that the use of intoxicants may be affecting student
behaviour in potentially dangerous ways. The majority of students who drank
admitted to suffering negative consequences from their use, with 51 per cent
suffering more than one bad effect.

Consequences listed ranged from family tension to traffic accidents while
driving under the influence.

"One of the most common consequences of alcohol and drug use is unplanned
sexual activity," Van Til said.

Of the students who had sex in the past year, 33 per cent said they had
unplanned sex while under the influence.

Health Minister Jamie Ballem said the survey results are encouraging as far
as smoking is concerned but they underline the importance of reaching young
people.

"High school students build patterns that will be with them the rest of
their lives," he said. "The survey reveals how critical the period from
Grade 7 to Grade 12 is."

"As parents and communities we have to listen to youth, we have to reach out
to them and help to steer them through this critical period in their lives."

Emily Key, a student and peer education program facilitator at Three Oaks
senior high in Summerside, said the tobacco use reduction shows the effect
education campaigns can have but she said there is still a great deal of
ignorance among her peers about the real consequences of alcohol and drug
use.

"All the information most teens know about drugs is how much they are
supposed to mellow you out or how much they're supposed to wind you up," she
said.

"Teens know virtually nothing about long-term harmful effects. Many kids
have a problem, even an addiction. This is very, very scary."

Education Minister Chester Gillan said the study shows some potential
consequences for efforts to educate young Islanders.

He said alcohol and drug use impede education efforts but they are still
disturbingly prevalent.

"The junior high numbers, while they are low, should not even be on the
radar screen," he said.

He said there are now some 18 drug and alcohol education programs available
for youth, efforts that range from RCMP programs to peer counseling.

"It is important to somehow get the students that are using these substances
to enter into cessation programs so they can stop," Gillan said.