Pubdate: Fri, 01 Nov 2002
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2002 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Sean Gordon

STUDENT DRUG USE RISING

Officials Alarmed. Youth In Schools Here More Likely To Indulge Than Those 
In U.S. Or Ontario

Nearly half of Quebec's high-school students have smoked marijuana and 
about 20 per cent use it weekly, says a new report published by the 
Institut de la Statistique du Quebec and the provincial Health Department.

Researchers studying drugs, alcohol and gambling in schools also found that 
nine out of 10 high schoolers will have tried booze by the time they 
graduate. Half will be social drinkers, and 20 per cent will have gone 
binge-drinking at least five times. About 6 per cent will graduate with a 
substance-abuse problem serious enough to need treatment.

Health officials admit the figures are cause for some alarm because they 
show a steady increase in alcohol and drug use in Quebec schools.

"At the same time, the proportion of children who don't have any type of 
problem remains very high," said Lucie Leduc, a Health Department official. 
"But we are preoccupied by what seems to be more precocious consumption by 
young people.

"We're taking steps to address those concerns, including attacking risk 
factors like low self-esteem and family problems, and putting more emphasis 
on prevention campaigns."

Institute researchers also found that adolescents here are less likely to 
gamble than elsewhere in Canada. Of the students surveyed, 63 per cent said 
they gamble occasionally (which includes betting on sports events with 
friends or parents). In New Brunswick, studies show the proportion to be 64 
per cent, while in Manitoba, the figure climbs to 78 per cent.

About 3.5 per cent of students in Quebec are at risk of developing gambling 
problems.

Also, boys are more likely than girls to gamble.

"There are competing phenomena at work here," said Serge Chevalier, a 
researcher and gambling expert with the Institut National de Sante Publique 
du Quebec.

"Quebec has one of the strongest prohibitions against young people buying 
lottery tickets or gambling in casinos, but we also promote gambling more 
than other places."

The study also indicated that Quebec high schoolers are more likely to have 
tippled or used drugs than their peers in Ontario or in the United States.

Louise Guyon, one of the report's authors, said the hypothesis is that 
"there are cultural factors here which make Quebec more like Europe in our 
attitudes toward wine and alcohol."

"Also, in the U.S., drug prohibition is much stronger, and the respondents 
to our study are probably being more frank than American kids."

The $40,000 study (available at www.stat.gouv.qc.ca) was conducted among 
4,730 students in 156 Quebec schools. It polled students in English, 
French, private and public schools between Oct. 31 and Dec. 15, 2000, and 
is considered the most accurate statistical snapshot yet taken of the 
province's 425,000 students.

Highlights

42 per cent of students consumed drugs in the 12 months preceding the 
study; of these students, 72 per cent used drugs (mostly cannabis) in the 
30 days before survey was conducted.

16 per cent of students say they've used hallucinogenics.

61 per cent of Grade 11 students say they've used cannabis.

51 per cent of high-school students surveyed (from secondary 1 to 5) 
consume alcohol occasionally; 20 per cent drink alcohol regularly (every week).

22 per cent of students have admitted drinking to excess (defined as 5 
drinks or more in one sitting, 5 times in a year).

The number of regular drinkers increases with age. In Grade 7, the 
proportion is 7 per cent, in Grade 11, it's 40 per cent.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens