Nova Scotia Student Drug Use Survey2007

Methods• Anonymous confidential self-reported survey

• Approved by Ethics Review Board

• Students in grades 7, 9, 10 & 12

• Average age of respondents 15.1 years

• Total sample in NS NB NL PE = 17,545

• Sample in NS = 4,486

Past year substance use 2007• In 2007, 42% of students reported that during the 12 months before the survey they had not used any of the 13 substances asked about in the survey.

• 12.5% of students indicated they had used all of the three most common substances (alcohol, cannabis, cigarettes) during the course of a year.

Past year substance useNova Scotia 1996 - 2007Grades 7, 9, 10 & 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Alcohol

Cannabis

Cigarettes

Psilocybin or Mescaline

LSDAm

phetamine Non-m

edical

Methylphenidate Non-m

edical

Inhalants

MDM

A

Tranquillizers Non-medical

Cocaine

Steroids Non-medical

PCPO

piates

1996

1998

2002

2007

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Alcohol • Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used drug by students in this province.

• 52% of students reported using alcohol in the year prior to the survey (comparable to other years)

• 28% of students consumes 5+ drinks at a sitting on at least one occasion in the month prior to the survey

• 14% of students with a driver’s license engaged in alcohol-driving on at least one occasion during the year.

Alcohol Past year use among NS students1996 - 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Pre

va

len

ce

(%

)

Any alcohol use Past year

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Five + drinks in one sitting Past month

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Drove within 1 hour of drinking alcohol among licensed drivers, students in grades 10 & 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Male Female Grade 10 Grade 12

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Alcohol Past year prevalence of alcohol-related problems among NS students

Cannabis

• Cannabis is the 2nd most commonly used substance by adolescent students.

• There has been a decrease in use from 38% in 2002 to 32% in 2007.

• 23% of students drove after using cannabis on at least one occasion during the year.

Cannabis Past year use among NS students1996 - 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Pre

va

len

ce

(%

)

Drove within 1 hour of using cannabis among licensed drivers, students in grades 10 & 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Male Female Grade 10 Grade 12

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Drugs Past year prevalence of drug-related problems among NS students

Cigarette Smoking

• The most marked change from 2002 to 2007 was a decrease in the percentage of students who smoked cigarettes, down 23% to 16%.

• Cigarettes was the 3rd most commonly used substance.

Cigarette smoking Past year smoking among NS students 1996 - 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Pre

va

len

ce

(%

)

MDMA (Ecstasy)

• There has been a small upward trend in the prevalence of Ecstasy use from 4.5% in 2002 to 7.0% in 2007.

MDMA (ecstasy) Past year use among NS students2002 - 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Pre

va

len

ce

(%

)

Gambling • In 2007, 60% of students in Nova Scotia gambled.– Rates of student participation for gambling activities measured in 2002 and 2007 are essentially the same.

• Most common gambling activity was scratch tabs

• Internet gambling was introduced in the 2007 survey– 5% of students played for money– 26% played for points or play money

• 3% of students engaged in at-risk gambling behaviour, 2% in problem gambling behaviour

Participation in gambling for money Past year

0 20 40 60 80 100

Scratch tabs

Played cards for money

Betting on sports activities

Break opens

Played Bingo for money

Lottery other than Sports Select

Sports Select Lottery

Video lottery terminals

Internet gambling for money

Prevalence (%)

Female

Male

Past year Internet gambling for …

Money

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Points

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Problem gamblingPast year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Overall Male Female

Problem gambling

At-risk gambling

Gambling no problem

No gambling

Mental Health • Depressive Symptoms

– 6% of students scored as having “very elevated” symptoms (21% - “somewhat elevated”)

– Females were about twice as likely to report elevated depressive symptoms than males

• 2007 rates for positive ADHD symptoms, and utilization of medication, are essentially the same as in 2002

• More than twice as many males than females reported they were taking medical stimulants (30 days prior to survey)

Elevated depressive symptomsPast 7 days

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Overall Male Female Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Indeterminate

Very elevated

Somewhat elevated

Minimally elevated

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderPast 6 months

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Past month medical use of amphetamine or methylphenidateaccording to gender & ADHD screening test

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall ADHD negative ADHD positive

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Sexual Behaviours • In 2007, 35% of students indicated that they had intercourse in the course of the year.

• Of those who had intercourse, 33% had unplanned sex after using drugs or alcohol.

• 61% of students who had ever had intercourse, indicated they used a condom at the time of their most recent sexual intercourse

Vaginal or anal sexPast yearGrades 9, 10 & 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Unplanned sex after alcohol or drugsAmong students who had sex in past yearGrades 9, 10 & 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Used a condom or latex barrier at most recent sexual intercourseAmong students in grades 9, 10 & 12 who ever had sex

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 12

Male

Female

Pre

vale

nce

(%)

Recommendations

• Findings from the 2007 Atlantic Student Drug Use survey should be communicated to key stakeholders throughout Atlantic Canada

2. Parents/caregivers, schools, communities, and government should continue to support students in making healthy, less harmful decisions about substance use and gambling.

3. Addiction Services in the respective District Health Authorities should continue to build upon intersectoral collaboration to enhance prevention activities

Recommendations

4. Addiction Services in the respective District Health Authorities should continue to build upon intersectoral collaboration to develop intervention and treatment strategies to assist students who are harmfully involved with substance use and/or gambling

5. Standardized Student Drug Use Survey should be repeated in the Atlantic Provinces every three years

6. Assess substance use and gambling related problems among at-risk/marginalized youth not represented in the Student Drug Use survey