Send Page Print Page

Master Trainer Directory Search

Take Action in Secondary Schools

SECTION II:
Understanding Substance Use and Abuse in the School Community

It is difficult to estimate the prevalence and scope of substance use amongst students in the secondary school setting. To assist in determining this, the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) is administered by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) every two years since 1977, to a sample of students in Grades 7-12 across the province.

This self-administered anonymous survey is used to identify trends and patterns in student drug use, high risk behaviours (e.g., violence, gambling, drinking/drugged driving), mental health concerns, and physical activity.

Highlights from the 2007 OSDUS results are presented below to reveal the alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use patterns among secondary school students. Additional details are available, and updated regularly, on the CAMH website:

http://www.camh.ca/en/research/news_and_publications/ontario-student-drug-use-and-health-survey/Pages/default.aspx  

2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS): Selected Hightlights

  • Alcohol
  • Almost 55% of all students report drinking during the past year
  • About one-in-five students (22%) engaged in binge drinking in the past month
  • Likelihood of hazardous increases by grade, peaking in grade 11 or 12 at 30% 
  • Males and females are equally likely to engage in hazardous drinking (18%)
  • Drugs
  • Approximately one-fifth of students (22%) reported using cannabis in the past year
  • In 2011, the substances most available to students were alcohol (56% of students indicated that it would be “easy” or “very easy" to obtain), cigarettes (52%) and cannabis (42%)
  • About 14% of students reported using a prescription opioid non-medically within the past year
  • Regional and Sex Differences
  • Males and females are equally likely to smoke cigarettes (9%/8%), drink alcohol (55%), binge drink (22%), use cannabis (23%/21%), use opioids non-medically (13%/15%), and use illicit drugs (38%/37%)
  • Females are more likely than males to use a prescription drug non-medically (19% vs 15%) and use stimulants (5% vs 3%)
  • Males are more likely than females to use smokeless tobacco (8% vs 2%) and use over-the-counter cough/cold medicine to get high (8% vs 6%)
  • Region played a significant role in likelihood to use cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, high caffeine energy drinks, and to binge drink