Quick Facts
- 60% of illicit drug users are 15-24 years old[LR1] (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse [CCSA])
- 4.4% of Canadians meet the criteria for addiction (CCSA, 2012)
- 8% of Canadian youth report alcohol or drug dependency (Health Canada, 2011)
- 1 in 6 (17%) of adolescent marijuana users become dependent (CCSA, 2006)
- 23% of Canadian youth report using marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis (CCSA, 2010)
33,650 people sought treatment for addiction in Alberta in 2012
In 2012–2013, 33,650 unique individuals accessed publicly funded specialized treatment services in Alberta; of which 83.5% were new cases.
The majority of individuals accessing treatment services (87.2%) were seeking treatment for their own substance use problems. However, 4,311 individuals accessed specialized treatment services for a friend or family member during the 2012–2013 fiscal year, which accounts for 12.8% of the entire population of unique clients.[CCSA National Treatment Indicators 2015]
According to UNICEF, Canadian children 11-15 are the #1 users of cannabis in the world
Widespread use of alcohol amongst high school students (Grades 7–12)
Based on data from the 2012–2013 Youth Smoking survey, past-year self-reported use of alcohol among students increases substantially with each grade level, from an estimated 8% among students in grade seven to 67% among those in grade 12. In 2012– 2013, the overall prevalence of alcohol use in the past 12 months decreased to 41% compared to the 45% recorded in 2010–2011.
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First time using alcohol
Data from the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring survey (CADUMS) indicates that the average age of initiation for the consumption of alcohol was significantly delayed from 15.6 years in 2004 to 16.2 years in 2012.
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Risky Drinking
Data from the 2016 National College Health Assessment Survey (Canadian Reference Group) indicates that 35% of post-secondary students drank more than four drinks on a single occasion at least once in the past two weeks. Risky drinking was more prevalent among male students (39%) than among female students (34%).
Statistical validity: Forty one Canadian postsecondary institutions self-selected to participate in the Spring 2016 ACHA National College Health Assessment and 43,780 surveys were completed by students on these campuses.