A few days ago Health Canada disseminated the results of The 2016-2017 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Use Survey (CCTADJ). The results achieved should ensure that policies target areas of concern.
10% OF STUDENTS STATE TO HAVE USED E-CIGARETTE DURING THE MONTH
The national survey that assesses the rates of smoking, alcohol and drug use among Canadian students provides valuable information that will contribute to approaches taken to tackle complex health and social issues, such as problematic use. tobacco, alcohol and drugs, including opioids and cannabis.
The Inquiry was conducted on behalf of Health Canada by the Propel Center for the Advancement of Population Health at the University of Waterloo. The Survey collected information from over 52 students which is a representative sample of over 000 million students of this age group in Canada.
The Government of Canada continues to take action to address issues related to substance use among Canadians. Investments are made in Budget 2018 to enhance Canada's Tobacco Control Strategy, a comprehensive, integrated and sustained tobacco control program aimed at reducing tobacco-related illness and death.
From this Canadian survey, we can :
- That there has been a general decline in student use of tobacco products over the past 30 days. This reduction, from 12 to 10%, represents a significant decline and an encouraging result. Canada is working to reduce the smoking rate to less than 5% by 2035.
- That 10% of students declared having used an electronic cigarette in the last 30 days, an increase of 6% compared to 2014-2015.
- That cannabis use among students remained stable at 17%, i.e. no change compared to 2014-2015.
- Students' overall perception of the risks of smoking cannabis has decreased: only 19% of students believe that smoking cannabis occasionally is a “great risk”, compared to 25% in 2014-2015.
To Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health states " We all care deeply about the health of Canada's youth. As a long-time activist, I understand the challenges associated with encouraging young people to consider good health habits. This survey helps us understand where we need to do more to support young people to make healthier choices. It provides a solid evidence base for our future policies and actions to address substance use issues among Canadian youth.«
