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OTTAWA (CP) - The number of Canadians who say they have used cannabis or injectable drugs in the past year has doubled in a decade, according to a major new survey.
But addiction specialists still see alcohol abuse as the greater problem. Data from the Canada Addiction Survey, the most comprehensive addictions survey ever done in Canada, present a disturbing picture of a society increasingly dependent on mood-altering substances.
Fourteen per cent of respondents said they had used cannabis in the last year, up from 7.4 per cent in 1994. About a third said they had failed to control their cannabis use.
About 269,000 Canadians said they had used an injectable drug in the past year, up from 132,000 in 1994. Nearly 4.1 million Canadians reported using injectable drugs at least once in their life. That's up from 1.7 million in 1994.
The proportion of drinkers rose to 79.3 per cent this year from 72.3 per cent in 1994. Seven per cent of respondents described themselves as frequent heavy drinkers, up from 5.4 per cent in 1994.
Conservative justice critic Vic Toews said rising rates of abuse are an indictment of federal drug policy, including the planned easing of marijuana laws and the establishment of safe injection sites.
"Certainly the Liberal drug strategy is failing," he said. "The safe injection sites aren't safe. There's more deaths in Vancouver than before the safe injection sites were put in place.
"I am concerned about the decriminalization of marijuana or any other drug. I am concerned that the government has not put forward a national strategy to deal with the whole issue of addictions."
Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh rejected suggestions that the plan to decriminalize possession of small quantities of marijuana is leading to increased use.
"We have the current laws in place at this time, they haven't been changed and the rate is going up, so obviously we're obviously not doing something right. I would focus on the drug strategy, which is the issue of education."
Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said the government is not legalizing marijuana, and considers it a health threat. "All we're doing is changing the penalty regime."
Researchers who conducted the study said that drug laws appear to be a relatively minor factor in determining drug use, and suggested that a much broader understanding of drug abuse is needed.
"This is both a good news and bad news story," Michel Perron of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse told a news conference Wednesday.
"Despite the fact that most Canadians drink in moderation and without harm we are concerned about heavy drinking among youth aged 18 to 24.
"The increasing use of cannabis by Canadian youth is also an area of concern because we know cannabis is not a benign substance."
The reasons for the increasing substance use will become clearer as data are analysed in greater detail, he said.
Robert Hanson of Health Canada said the department is working on a campaign targeted at youth to discourage cannabis and alcohol use.
Ed Adlaf of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said alcohol is the greatest concern because it affects the most people. He said about 20 per cent of adults are drinking hazardously.
Adlaf said he is also concerned that 18 per cent of cannabis users are using the drug daily, and about a third say they can't control their use.
Males were more likely than females to have used the drug, and young people had a higher rate of use than older Canadians.
The survey also suggests usage increases with education, rising to 52 per cent for those with post-secondary education from 35 per cent among high school dropouts.
The updated information comes as the federal government moves to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot.
The pro-marijuana group NORML Canada says the survey clearly shows that cannabis laws have failed to deter people from using the drug.
The survey was sponsored by Health Canada, the Canadian Executive Council on Addictions and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
DENNIS BUECKERT
Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines
But addiction specialists still see alcohol abuse as the greater problem. Data from the Canada Addiction Survey, the most comprehensive addictions survey ever done in Canada, present a disturbing picture of a society increasingly dependent on mood-altering substances.
Fourteen per cent of respondents said they had used cannabis in the last year, up from 7.4 per cent in 1994. About a third said they had failed to control their cannabis use.
About 269,000 Canadians said they had used an injectable drug in the past year, up from 132,000 in 1994. Nearly 4.1 million Canadians reported using injectable drugs at least once in their life. That's up from 1.7 million in 1994.
The proportion of drinkers rose to 79.3 per cent this year from 72.3 per cent in 1994. Seven per cent of respondents described themselves as frequent heavy drinkers, up from 5.4 per cent in 1994.
Conservative justice critic Vic Toews said rising rates of abuse are an indictment of federal drug policy, including the planned easing of marijuana laws and the establishment of safe injection sites.
"Certainly the Liberal drug strategy is failing," he said. "The safe injection sites aren't safe. There's more deaths in Vancouver than before the safe injection sites were put in place.
"I am concerned about the decriminalization of marijuana or any other drug. I am concerned that the government has not put forward a national strategy to deal with the whole issue of addictions."
Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh rejected suggestions that the plan to decriminalize possession of small quantities of marijuana is leading to increased use.
"We have the current laws in place at this time, they haven't been changed and the rate is going up, so obviously we're obviously not doing something right. I would focus on the drug strategy, which is the issue of education."
Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said the government is not legalizing marijuana, and considers it a health threat. "All we're doing is changing the penalty regime."
Researchers who conducted the study said that drug laws appear to be a relatively minor factor in determining drug use, and suggested that a much broader understanding of drug abuse is needed.
"This is both a good news and bad news story," Michel Perron of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse told a news conference Wednesday.
"Despite the fact that most Canadians drink in moderation and without harm we are concerned about heavy drinking among youth aged 18 to 24.
"The increasing use of cannabis by Canadian youth is also an area of concern because we know cannabis is not a benign substance."
The reasons for the increasing substance use will become clearer as data are analysed in greater detail, he said.
Robert Hanson of Health Canada said the department is working on a campaign targeted at youth to discourage cannabis and alcohol use.
Ed Adlaf of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said alcohol is the greatest concern because it affects the most people. He said about 20 per cent of adults are drinking hazardously.
Adlaf said he is also concerned that 18 per cent of cannabis users are using the drug daily, and about a third say they can't control their use.
Males were more likely than females to have used the drug, and young people had a higher rate of use than older Canadians.
The survey also suggests usage increases with education, rising to 52 per cent for those with post-secondary education from 35 per cent among high school dropouts.
The updated information comes as the federal government moves to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot.
The pro-marijuana group NORML Canada says the survey clearly shows that cannabis laws have failed to deter people from using the drug.
The survey was sponsored by Health Canada, the Canadian Executive Council on Addictions and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
DENNIS BUECKERT
Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines
