Question:
I just had a phone call from a local high school, with a student who was initially asking about access to the CTADS 2017 PUMF. After a quick conversation we determined that the student doesn’t actually want the data to analyze, but is hoping to get usage rates of an assortment of drugs (cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, and alcohol) for youth ages 15-25 ish. I couldn’t find tables with this data on the STC site – any ideas where to look?
Answer from DLI:
Although this is specific to BC, you may want to suggest they check out the Adolescent Health Survey (AHS) [http://www.mcs.bc.ca/about_the_bc_ahs] from the McCreary Centre Society. It collects data on alcohol, marijuana and other substance use by BC students in grades 7 to 12.
The results are reported for the province as a whole and in regional reports and special topic reports. Data from the 2018 survey is not yet available; the most recent published data is from the 2013 AHS. Here’s a link to the provincial report:
From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii: Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey. See esp. pp. 34-41. [http://www.mcs.bc.ca/pdf/From_Hastings_Street_To_Haida_Gwaii.pdf]
Also see the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) website on Student Drug Use [http://www.ccdus.ca/Eng/topics/Monitoring-Trends/Student-Drug-Use/Pages/default.aspx].
The CCSA produced a report in 2011 which pulled data on alcohol, cannabis and other drug use from a number of regional surveys, including the BC Adolescent Health Survey that I mentioned in my previous email:
Young, M. M., Saewyc, E., Boak, A., Jahrig, J., Anderson, B., Doiron-Brun, Y., Taylor, S., Pica, L., Laprise, P., and Clark, H. (Student Drug Use Surveys Working Group). (2011). The Cross Canada Report on Student Drug Use: Technical Report. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
[http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/2011_CCSA_Student_Alcohol_and_Drug_Use_en.pdf#search=all%28student%20drug%20use%29]
A short (2-page) version [http://www.ccdus.ca/Resource%20Library/2011_CCSA_Cross-Canada_Report_on_Student_Alcohol_and_Drug_Use_Report_in_Short_en.pdf] of this report is available on the CCSA website, as is a 2-page guide to Trends in Drug Use among Youth (2013) [http://www.ccdus.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Trends-in-Drug-Use-Youth-2012-en.pdf].
