Pubdate: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Canoe Inc Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837 Author: Robyn Stubbs, 24 Hours Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) YOUTH GO WILD - FOR SHORT TIME More Vancouver youth are turning their noses up at hard drugs, says a new Vancouver Coastal Health survey. While local youth are more likely to experiment with drugs than the rest of young Canadians, most young Vancouverites don't go on to develop serious addictions, the survey found. "The good news is the proportion of young people with substance-abuse issues is really low," said Coastal Health spokeswoman Vivana Zanoco yesterday. "There's a curiosity ... but then they step back and go, 'this is really not for me'." Many youth still rate pot as the least risky recreational drug, and 54 per cent said they had used pot in the last year. Pot is the most available drug to youth, with 85 per cent saying they have been offered the drug at least once in the last year. The survey questioned 600 youth aged 16 to 25. FYI - News Release: Youth Drug Survey Identifies Emerging Trends Mar 3 http://www.vch.ca/news/docs/2007_03_06_YouthDrugSurvey.pdf Youth Drug Survey Report - Backgrounder http://www.vch.ca/news/docs/2007_03_06_YouthDrugSurvey.pdf - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom