Winter 2009

 

The 2009 OSDUHS at a Glance

For professionals in public health, addiction treatment and substance-use/misuse education, the month of November brings on a certain amount of excitement as National Addiction Awareness Week comes to the forefront during the third week of November (November 16 – 22). As a result, a significant study was released: the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s 2009 OSDUHS report [PDF, 1.6MB].

The OSDUHS report, which has been released every two years since 1977, has spotted trends in teen behaviour. In the Executive Summary it explains that the OSDUHS began as a drug use survey, but is now a broader study of health and well-being. Topics covered include: tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and harmful consequences of use, mental health issues (e.g., suicide ideation, self-esteem), physical health (e.g., activity), healthcare utilization, body image and weight, gambling and video gaming behaviours and problems, violence and bullying, criminal behaviours, school connectedness, academic achievement, and family life.

The report identified that teens are drinking less than a decade ago, however, binge drinking (defined as five or more drinks on one occasion) still remains a problematic behaviour. Dr. Jurgen Rehm, the study's co-author, reported that as Ontario high school students get older and move from one grade to the other there is an increased incidence of binge drinking, from 3% of 7th-graders up to 49% of 12th-graders. One in five (about 211,000 students) may be drinking hazardously (defined as a risky pattern of alcohol use that increases the likelihood of physical, psychological, or social problems). Additionally, Dr. Rehm reports that the rates of binge drinking between male and female students are the same.

Dr. Robert Mann, co-author on the study, explains that binge drinking rates have remained stable for the last few years; however, he warns that binge drinking leads to various other behaviours for teens including aggressive behaviour, which can lead to fights and sexual assault. Moreover, the study revealed that 12% of Ontario teens that drive did so under the influence of alcohol and, more unnerving, that 23% of Ontario teens reported being a passenger in a car when the driver had been drinking.

Dr. Rehm summarizes that adopting the old adage “kids must be kids” is a dangerous and complacent perspective to take. He emphasizes that “research has clearly indicated that the earlier a teen starts to drink or use drugs [it] is associated with higher risk of dependence in adulthood.”

Additionally, this year's OSDHUS reported that:

• Non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers remains a concern;
• Cannabis use remains stable;
• Tobacco use by students remains a concern due to its known health consequences later in life;
• 42% of all students (about 409,000) reported use of any drug other than alcohol or tobacco, including illicit drugs and non-medical use of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The survey also charted new data, which included:

• 7% of students reported using over-the-counter cough and cold medications to get high during the past year;
• 4% of students used of salvia divinorum, a legal garden plant with hallucinogenic properties;
• 16% of students reported getting drunk or high at school at least once during the past year; and
• 23% reported that they were sold, given or offered a drug at school in the past year.

Dr. Mann indicated that public health can take away some quick wins from this year’s OSDHUS by indicating that teen alcohol consumption has dropped since 1999. However, he warns that the drinking rates have plateaued since the 2007 report, and that approximately 25% of teens are drinking alcohol and/or smoking tobacco.

Nonetheless, Dr. Mann believes that a “zero” blood alcohol content (BAC) to age 21 can make a positive contribution to youth alcohol consumption rates. He explains that public health’s work on tobacco, alcohol and other drugs needs to continue in order to make progress on the substance use rates.

For more on the complete report, please visit the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health website.

The 7th annual Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity Forum

Join us on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. for our 7th annual forum; Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity. The ongoing aim of this forum is to bring Substance Misuse Prevention and Injury Prevention professionals together to discuss how to help mitigate the harmful effects of alcohol. The forum also provides an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange.

This year's theme is: Alcohol Policy: Time to Act! Current Research, Policy, and Practical Applications to address Alcohol-Related Harm. We will be discussing methods of developing and implementing Alcohol Policy at the Municipal and Provincial levels with examples provided by members of the public health field. This year’s focus aims to encourage those involved in Alcohol Policy and those thinking about engaging in Alcohol Policy to work together to implement such policies in their communities.

Participants will be charged an $85 registration fee. Participants will receive: two snack breaks and a catered lunch; a printed Summary of our six past alcohol policy forums; and a USB key containing presentations and background documents.

As in every year, there will be opportunities for discussions with renowned expert speakers. This year the speakers include:

• Keynote Address: Dr. Thomas Babor, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and lead author and principle investigator of the landmark book Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity: Research and Public Policy;
• Nancy Langdon, Ottawa Public Health and Co-chair of the OPHA AlcoholWork Group;
• Dr. Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health;
• Denise DePape, Director of Alcohol Harm Reduction, BC Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport;
• Andy Murie, CEO of MADD CanadA

Registration will begin in mid-December. Stay tuned to our website and listserv for further details as they become available.