Pubdate: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Vancouver 24 hrs. Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837 Author: Jane Deacon Page: 5 Referenced: 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey (Vancouver): http://www.mcs.bc.ca/pdf/AHSV_Vancouver.pdf LESS DRUG, ALCOHOL AND SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH VANCOUVER TEENAGERS: SURVEY Survey Finds Reductions in Some Risky Behaviours Over the Last Decade, While Mental Health Concerns Grow Fewer Vancouver teens are drinking and doing drugs than they were a decade ago, shows a survey of over 2,000 local students. The percentage of Vancouver youth who have tried alcohol decreased from 45% to 33%, while those who have tried marijuana dropped 7% in the last decade, says a McCreary Centre Society survey of adolescent health. In collaboration with the provincial government and the public health system, the centre has conducted the survey every five years since 1992 - polling over 130,000 Grade 7 to 12 students across the province. The most recent results show that local teens are having less sexual intercourse and waiting longer to try it, with the percentage of students who first had sex at age 14 or younger dropping by 7% to a quarter of respondents. With reduction in some risky behaviours, the survey highlights growing mental health concerns - especially among female respondents, who show higher rates of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than their male counterparts. They're also not always seeking help, with roughly 10% saying they don't ask for medical or mental health support when they need it - most commonly not wanting their parents to know. "We're seeing rises in mental health conditions and young people reporting extreme stress and extreme despair, yet they're reluctant to seek help because they don't want their parents to know," said Annie Smith, McCreary's executive director. The society will undertake further study on the "whys" behind these results in the coming months, with results used by various organizations and levels of government t o develop policy and support systems around youth - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom