Media Advisory 2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey

Attention Health/News Editors - Media Advisory

Cigarette Smoking and Drug Use Among Ontario Youth Continue to Decline, but Risky Behaviours Remain

For Immediate Release - Toronto/ November 22, 2005 - The results of the 2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS) will be released at a media conference being held tomorrow by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). CAMH's Ontario Student Drug Use Survey is the longest running school survey of adolescents in Canada. In the spring of 2005, 7,726 students in grades 7 to 12 participated in the survey administered by the Institute for Social Research, York University. This report describes drug use in 2005 and changes since 1977.

When: Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Where: The Meeting Centre (2nd Floor), CAMH
33 Russell Street (Spadina, one block North of College), Toronto

For Those outside of Toronto - Attendance by teleconference available.
Please call 1 888 280-8349 by 9:55 a.m.

2005 OSDUS highlights include:

Students in the Northern Region are more likely to smoke cigarettes (20%) and have hazardous drinking patterns (22%)
Use of cigarettes, stimulants and alcohol among Toronto students has declined
Heroin use among Toronto students above provincial average
Ecstasy use increased in the Northern Region between 1999 and 2005
Use of any illicit drug (including cannabis) declined in the Eastern Regions
Cocaine use above provincial average in Western Regions.

OSDUS investigators and CAMH staff will be in attendance to answer questions about youth and substance use.

For further information, please contact: Michael Torres, Media Relations Coordinator, CAMH

(416) 595-6015

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