MORE YOUTH BINGE DRINKING: SURVEY

A survey shows drug use among youth has plateaued but it's still higher
than it was in the early '90s. Torstar File Photo Cigarette smoking by
Ontario youth is down but heavy drinking remains a problem. And the use of
illegal drugs has plateaued. A new provincial survey says cigarette use has
dropped to 24 per cent from 29 per cent in the past two years, the lowest
it's been since 1977. Use of solvents and LSD also dropped.

But 63 per cent of youth reported drinking alcohol in 2001, up from 57 per
cent in 1993. The number who reported binge drinking -- consuming five or
more drinks at one time -- rose to 25 per cent from 18 per cent in that
period. Twenty-seven per cent of young people said they got drunk, a jump
from 17 per cent in 1993.

Those are the results of the latest Ontario Student Drug Use Survey,
released yesterday by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

More than 4,200 students in Grade 7 through OAC took part in the 2001
survey, administered by the Institute for Social Research at York University.

The survey is the most recent in a series of 13, conducted every two years
since 1977.

Dr. Edward Adlaf, senior scientist at CAMH and co-author of the study,
noted the '90s saw a resurgence in drug use after a decline in the '80s.
"In 2001, the good news is that illicit drug use among youth isn't growing.
The bad news is, it's still higher than it was in the early '90s," Adlaf said.

Catherine McPherson-Doe, executive director of the Hamilton agency
Alternatives for Youth, concurs with the findings. She said binge drinking,
like the kind that goes on at bush parties, continues to be a concern locally.

Carmen Messerlian, a health promotion specialist with the city, was
disappointed by the increase in alcohol use. She said there have been many
programs across the province to raise awareness about the risks of binge
drinking, including alcohol poisoning, which can result in death.

It often takes a few years to see the results of such campaigns, Messerlian
said. "We need to continue our efforts in raising awareness in youth, even
as young as seventh grade."

Messerlian said the decline in tobacco use was probably the most
significant of the results. She suggested the various prevention strategies
that have been implemented are obviously having an effect on youth smoking
rates.

Ecstasy was the one drug that continued to increase for a few subgroups in
the Ontario survey. Its use among ninth-graders climbed to 7 per cent from
2 per cent. The figure rose to 8 per cent from 4 per cent for western
Ontario, which includes Hamilton.

McPherson-Doe wasn't surprised the survey showed illicit drug use in
general hasn't increased. The number of youth aged 13 to 22 served by
Alternatives for Youth has been fairly stable the last two years, at about 800.

But more clients are seeking help in relation to ecstasy. "Last year, youth
were identifying they were using ecstasy ... but they saw it as a
recreational drug, not creating difficulties in their life," McPherson-Doe
said. "This year, we're seeing more youth seeking treatment around the use
of that drug."

She said the top three drugs of concern for young people coming to her
agency continue to be cannabis, alcohol and tobacco.

STUDENT DRUG USE

Ontario Student Drug Use Survey

Differences Between 1999 And 2001

Cigarette Use

Down to 24 per cent from 29 per cent

Solvents Use

Down to 6 per cent from 7 per cent

LSD Use

Down to 5 per cent from 7 per cent

Cannabis Use

Stable at about 29 per cent

Binge Drinking

Down to 25 per cent from 28 per cent between 1999 and 2001 but up from 18
per cent in 1993

A total of 4,211 students from 41 school boards were surveyed