Note: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health was formerly the Addiction
Research Foundation.

TORONTO STUDENTS USE LESS POT, LSD

But solvent use is up, study says

High school students outside Toronto use more marijuana, hallucinogens and
stimulants than their big-city counterparts, a Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health survey finds.

The study, done every second year since 1977 with students in Grades 7, 9,
11 and 13, shows significant differences in the use of half the 14 drugs
the survey asked about.

Toronto students used significantly less marijuana, hallucinogens,
stimulants, LSD, methamphetamine and sedatives, but significantly more
solvents such as gasoline, the study shows.

No major differences were found in the use of alcohol, tobacco, ecstasy,
cocaine, glue, heroin and PCP (angel dust).

One possible reason is the higher ethnic composition of Toronto, said Ed
Adlaf, the study's researcher.

``Many of the studies on rates of drug use by different populations does
tend to show that ethnic groups tend to have lower rates of illicit drug
use than do those who were born in the country,'' Adlaf said.

Glue inhalation declined significantly among the total sample to 1.5 per
cent from 2.4 per cent, but the use of hallucinogens among females
increased significantly to 9.3 per cent from 5.9 per cent.

The study also revealed:

* Despite an upswing in drug use in the early '90s, most rates of use were
below levels seen in the 1970s and early 1980s.

* The percentage of drinkers consuming five or more drinks on a single
occasion during the previous four weeks increased to 40.5 per cent in 1997
from 34.9 per cent in 1995.

* The use of marijuana remained stable.

For the first time, Toronto students reported higher use of solvents than
those outside the city, but Adlaf called that a ``statistical blip.''

The study, which included 981 students in Toronto and 3,009 outside the
city, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 per cent, Adlaf said.

Sidebar:

Drug use

Students outside Toronto are bigger users of most drugs:

Percentage of students reporting drug use in previous 12 months

Cannabis

Toronto: 19.3% Outside T.O.: 26.3%

Hallucinogens

Toronto: 4.9% Outside T.O.: 11.3%

Stimulants

Toronto: 3.3% Outside T.O.: 7.3%

LSD

Toronto: 3.2% Outside T.O.: 8.7%

Methamphetamine

Toronto: 2.1% Outside T.O.: 4%

Solvents

Toronto: 4.3% Outside T.O.: 2.1%

Alcohol

Toronto: 52.4% Outside T.O.: 61.4%

Tobacco

Toronto: 24.8% Outside T.O.: 28.3%

Cocaine

Toronto: 2.7% Outside T.O.: 2.6%

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski