Pubdate: Thu, 23 Feb 2012
Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Chilliwack Progress
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/Ta1hOac0
Website: http://www.theprogress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/562
Author: Marie Amos
Note: Marie Amos, MA, RCC, is a Mental Health Therapist with Child 
and Youth Mental Health of MCFD, Chilliwack.

SUBSTANCE USE IN ADOLESCENTS

A few weeks ago, my colleague Eryn Wicker wrote about the McCreary 
report findings regarding adolescent's mental health. The McCreary 
Centre Society is a non-profit organization that collects data from 
adolescents in BC on a wide range of topics in health and well-being. 
The use of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol by young people is a topic 
that causes concern for parents and adults and can have negative 
short-term and long-term implications.

Alcohol is the substance most commonly used by young people. The use 
of alcohol has come down from 56 per cent of teenagers surveyed in 
1998 to 52 per cent in 2008. This still means that over half of youth 
have engaged in more than a few sips of alcohol in the last year. 
Generally, the younger a person begins using a substance, the more 
likely he or she is to use it in greater amounts or to abuse it later 
on. The trend seems to be that fewer kids are drinking at age 13 (34 
per cent in 2003 to 29 per cent in 2008) and age 15 (64 per cent in 
2003, 58 per cent in 2008). But, it's still a concerning number of 
young people who are using alcohol at young ages.

The next most frequently used substance is marijuana (37 per cent in 
2003 down to 30 per cent in 2008) and while less than previously is 
still a large proportion of young people. The use of cocaine, (five 
per cent in 2003 down to four per cent in 2008), amphetamines (four 
per cent in 2003 down to two per cent in 2008), and mushrooms (13 per 
cent in 2003 down to eight per cent in 2008) have been marginally 
decreasing in BC since 1998. Also, the McCreary Centre reported that 
fewer students have tried smoking over the last ten years. In 1998 
over half of respondents had tried it, and in 2008 it was down to 22 per cent.

We all prefer fewer young people engage in substance use. 
Unfortunately, there has been an increase in use of prescription 
drugs without a prescription (up to 15 per cent in 2008 from nine per 
cent in 2003). Also concerning are the negative consequences young 
people report after substance use. Amongst young people who used 
drugs or alcohol over the past year, 35 per cent of males, and 46 per 
cent of females, were told they did something that they didn't 
remember and approximately 30 per cent passed out. The potential for 
harm in these situations is easily imagined.

For more information, the McCreary Centre Society website 
http://www.mcs.bc.ca/ contains the 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey 
in it's entirety. Although our community has previously opted out of 
participating in this survey it is still valuable in understanding 
the trends of substances young people are using.

Research collected by the Centre for Addictions Research suggests 
that the best way to prevent substance use/abuse is to promote the 
overall well-being of young people. Look for opportunities for young 
people to feel good about themselves, to be successful in school, and 
to be contributing and valued members of the community.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom