Dataset Information

Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Poly-substance use, increasingly understood as a behaviour with uniquely adverse consequences, is on the rise among Canadian youth. High levels of e-cigarette vaping and the recent legalization of recreational cannabis use may result in an acceleration of this trend. The aim of this work was to characterise changes in youth poly-substance use over time, generate baseline data for future investigations, and highlight areas of interest for policy action.

Methods

Descriptive statistics and regression models explored patterns and trends in concurrent use of multiple substances (alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, and e-cigarettes) among Canadian high school students taking part in the COMPASS prospective cohort study during Y2 (2013/2014; n?=?45,298), Y3 (2014/2015, n?=?42,355), Y4 (2015/2016; n?=?40,436), Y5 (2016/2017; n?=?37,060), and Y6 (2017/2018; n?=?34,879).

Results

Poly-substance use increased significantly over time, with over 50% of students who used substance reporting past-year use of multiple substances by 2017/2018. Male and Indigenous students were significantly more likely to report poly-substance use than female and white students respectively. E-cigarette vaping doubled from Y5 to Y6 and was included in all increasingly prevalent substance use combinations.

Conclusions

Youth poly-substance use, rising since 2012/2013, saw a particularly steep increase after 2016/2017. Differential effects were observed for distinct demographic subpopulations, indicating tailored interventions may be required. E-cigarette vaping surged in parallel with the observed increase, suggesting a key role for this behaviour in shaping youth poly-substance use.

SUBMITTER: Zuckermann AME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6525276 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth.

Zuckermann Alexandra M E AME Williams Gillian G Battista Katelyn K de Groh Margaret M Jiang Ying Y Leatherdale Scott T ST

Addictive behaviors reports 20190510

<h4>Introduction</h4>Poly-substance use, increasingly understood as a behaviour with uniquely adverse consequences, is on the rise among Canadian youth. High levels of e-cigarette vaping and the recent legalization of recreational cannabis use may result in an acceleration of this trend. The aim of this work was to characterise changes in youth poly-substance use over time, generate baseline data for future investigations, and highlight areas of interest for policy action.<h4>Methods</h4>Descrip ...[more]

PMID: 31193263

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Dataset Information

Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth.

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