Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jun 2003
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Elaine Carey

TEEN POT-SMOKERS ALSO RISK-TAKERS

StatsCan Survey Tracks Adolescents

Addiction Centre Results Similar

Close to half of Canadian 16- and 17-year-olds have smoked marijuana -- and 
those that did were more apt to indulge in other risky behaviour as well, 
according to a new survey.

Marijuana use was at least twice as high among youth who reported doing 
such things as staying out all night without permission, taking money from 
their parents or damaging others' property, Statistics Canada said 
yesterday in a preliminary look at the latest cycle of an ongoing survey of 
children and youth.

The national survey first looked at 3,400 of these youths when they were 10 
and 11. About 1,800 took part in the latest round of questions in 
2000-2001. StatsCan plans to use their responses to produce an in-depth 
analytical paper on late adolescence this fall.

In the glimpse of the survey released yesterday, about 27 per cent of the 
16- and 17-year-olds said they had stayed out all night without permission 
and 29 per cent admitted they had taken money from parents.While 44 per 
cent over-all admitted using marijuana in the past year, marijuana use was 
1.8 to 2.6 times higher among youth who also reported other risky 
behaviours, the report said.

The survey "wasn't attempting to establish a cause and effect between the 
two," said StatsCan analyst Teresa Abada, "but those who reported risky 
behaviour were also more likely to smoke marijuana."

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found almost identical results 
on marijuana use in its 2001 survey of high school students. About 45.7 per 
cent of Grade 11 students (normally 16-year-olds) and 43.5 per cent of 
Grade 12 students reported using marijuana in the past year.

Over-all, 28.6 per cent of high school students had used marijuana, more 
than double the 12.7 per cent in 1993 but still lower than in 1979 when 
marijuana use peaked.

As well as taking risks, youth are also more likely to report symptoms of 
depression, anxiety and distress as they grow older, the survey found.

While only 9 per cent of 12- and 13-year-olds reported some symptoms of 
depression, that reached 24 per cent among 16- and 17-year-olds. The 
symptoms included poor appetite, restless sleep, loss of optimism about the 
future and loneliness.

But 95 per cent said they are generally healthy and optimistic about their 
future, even if their parents had divorced or remarried in the past six years.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens