Pubdate: Thu, 16 Apr 2015
Source: Moose Jaw Times-Herald (CN SN)
Copyright: 2015 The Moose Jaw Times-Herald Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2154
Author: Helen Branswell
Page: A5

MARIJUANA USE AMONG TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS MAY BE DOWN: SURVEY

Marijuana use may be down among teens and young adults, a new report
from Statistics Canada suggests.

Younger Canadians are still the biggest consumers of marijuana, with a
third of 18 to 24-year-old respondents reporting they had used
marijuana or hashish in the past year.

But the percentage of teens between the ages of 15 and 17 who reported
having ever used marijuana dropped to 25 per cent in 2012 from nearly
40 per cent in 2002, according to the report, published Wednesday in
the monthly Health Reports.

And the percentage of 15- to 17-year-olds who reported having used
marijuana in the previous 12 months dropped by about 30 per cent over
the 10 year period, said co-author Michelle Rotermann, a senior
analyst with the statistical agency.

As well, the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds who reported having used
the drug at least once fell to about 54 per cent from 62 per cent over
the same time frame.

The report is based on data collected during the 2012 Canadian
Community Health Survey on mental health. Over 25,000 Canadians aged
15 and older responded to the survey ; the sample is considered
representative of about 28 million Canadians over the age of 15.

The survey asked respondents if they had ever used marijuana or
hashish, and if they had used either drug in the previous 12 months.

The data are self-reported and not verified. The authors note that
means some respondents may have modified their answers to give what
they thought is a socially acceptable reply. That's a recognized and
routine problem with self-reported data, especially about behaviours
society may frown on.

The data clearly show that marijuana is more of a guy thing than a
girl thing.

"That is a fairly consistent finding that we find in all age groups
and ages combined, that use of marijuana is more common among males
than females - and often by 50 per cent," Rotermann said in an
interview from Ottawa.

More than 49 per cent of males reported having used marijuana at some
point in their life, compared to 36 per cent of females. And daily use
was more common among males; 2.4 per cent of males reported using
marijuana every day, double the percentage of females who reported
daily use.

The findings also call into question the suggestion that marijuana is
a gateway drug that leads to use of harder drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Matt