Pubdate: Fri, 24 Jan 2003
Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.mrtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372
Author: Tom Barnes

RIDGE TEENS SCORE HIGH IN DRUG SURVEY

Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows teens had the highest usage of drugs and the worst 
attendance in school when interviewed for a new survey on Lower Mainland youth.

However, the survey's author questioned his own methodology and hoped the 
project would be used as a starting point for more in-depth investigation.

Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows youths were part of a Lower Mainland survey 
asking them to describe what kind of illegal drugs they're using and how 
often they get high.

Written by Surrey-based Pacific Community Resources, a non-profit addiction 
services organization, the survey randomly interviewed 329 local youths 
between the ages of 12 to 24 last summer.

According to PCR's findings, in the last 30 days 55 per cent of Maple Ridge 
and Pitt Meadows youth had smoked marijuana, 14 per cent said they had 
taken methamphetamines, speed or ecstasy, 15 per cent had tried cocaine, 
six per cent had used heroin, and 63.5 per cent drank alcohol.

The Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows sample had the highest usage rates (except 
for alcohol) compared to the 1,936 youth in seven other Lower Mainland 
communities who took part in the random survey.

Findings showed overall that drug use among youths is on the rise while the 
age of youths first using drugs is dropping.

"When compared to other surveys, it appears more youth are trying marijuana 
and other drugs at a younger age. Particularly troubling is the reported 
first usages of harder drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and 
ecstasy," the report says.

In Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, the average age of youths who said they've 
used heroin is 13 years old, while 14 years old was the average age for 
cocaine and alcohol was first used at 12.

However, Tom Hetherington, the report's author cautions the numbers for 
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows might not paint an entirely accurate picture 
of youth drug use in the community because of the "relatively small 
community sample size."

He added the validity of the report was further weakened because all 
answers from the questionnaire were entered as reported.

"For example," the report writes, "several respondents cited the first age 
of drugs such as heroin as being under 10. While such use is unlikely, all 
of these (answers) were included in the sample responses."

Hetherington says, though, the report does provide local youth and drug 
councillors a starting point to explore drug use in the community.

"I'm not aware of much research done around these questions," Hetherington 
said. "We saw an absence of information and youth opinion on the topic. I 
hope (the report) encourages the community to follow up in a more rigorous 
manner."

Jim Kelly, executive director of Alouette Addictions Services in Maple 
Ridge, said he feels that contrary to the report's findings, youth drug use 
in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows is the same as in other communities.

"It's no more serious here than anywhere else," Kelly said, "Kids are using 
drugs here and all over the place."

Alouette Addictions Services treats youths dealing with drug and alcohol 
problems through its Maple Ridge clinic or its school-based prevention 
program. Kelly agrees not enough research has been done to give councillors 
a good handle on the exact numbers of youth using drugs or what drugs 
they're taking.

"(The report) gives us a benchmark of where to work from here," he said, 
adding recent funding cuts have made it impossible to do any further 
investigation into local youth drug use.

Meanwhile, the survey suggests there is a direct relationship between 
school attendance and drug use "with youth who are less connected to school 
showing the highest usage rates for most drugs."

"The Maple Ridge sample had the highest usage rates for most drugs and the 
largest percentage of seldom (school) attendees. The Maple Ridge sample 
also had the lowest number of regular attendees."

The report compared Maple Ridge with Delta teens, who posted the highest 
rate of school attendance and lowest drug use rates.

According to the report, 30 per cent of Maple Ridge youths surveyed said 
they don't go to school, while only 15 per cent of Delta youths said they 
had dropped out.

"The more connected to school youths are, the less likely they're using 
drugs," Hetherington said.

But the Maple Ridge sample, said Hetherington, was skewed because locally, 
researchers interviewed an older cross-section of youths who may have 
already graduated from high school but that wasn't factored into the final 
numbers.

"For whatever reason, we picked up older people who were out of school," 
Hetherington said.

Another interesting find in the survey was that parents are the most 
trusted source of drug information for youth who might want to find more 
information. However, those same youth interviewed said their parents would 
be the last "actual" place they'd go to get advice on drugs and alcohol.

"(Substance abuse) planners may want to enhance parental education programs 
that encourage parents to talk with their children about drugs," The report 
suggests.

The survey found males are more likely to be current users of drugs in all 
categories except alcohol.

Sixty-three per cent of females said they had drank in the last 30 days, 
compared to 59 per cent of males.

"Higher female drinking levels are particularly troubling when coupled with 
data suggesting that teenage girls smoke more than boys."
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MAP posted-by: Alex