Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2012 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/Vancouver/comment/lettereditor Website: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Matt Kieltyka Cited: http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/ ALARMING ADDICTION RATES AMONG STREET YOUTH While health authorities celebrate a decline in overall drug use among adults, researchers warn one demographic is being ignored. According to the latest study from the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, there is an "alarming progression" from drug experimentation to addiction among street-involved youth. Researchers followed 338 street-involved youth - between the ages of 15 and 25 - over five years and found 74 per cent of them became regular injection drug users after shooting up for the first time. "We were very surprised, especially since we're seeing a significant decline in adult injection drug users," said Dr. Kora DeBeck, lead author of the study. The high rate puts youth at risk of HIV and interferes with development, education, integration into society and could lead to homelessness, the study argues. DeBeck said more effort needs to be done to link street-involved youth with treatment and early intervention programs. The study found that young females are more at risk of becoming regular injection users after trying a drug, 81 per cent, than males, at 71 per cent. The study will be presented at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. July 26. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt