1. Substance use at SRB and Related Issues Presented by Robin McAteer Data courtesy of the 2008 Semester 2 MDM4U class

2. The Survey The following survey has been developed by Mrs. McAteer’s Data Management class. The purpose of the survey is to gain insight into SRB students’ attitudes and behaviours regarding drugs and alcohol, and possible related issues such as stress, family, and social relationships. The survey is completely anonymous. We appreciate your participation and honesty in this project

3. The Sample 199 students surveyed (approximately 20% of students) Sampled proportionally by grade, gender, and academic level Classes randomly selected

4. Reliability of Results Survey extensively edited to minimize bias Wording / language / amount of text Consistency of format Order of Questions Sensitivity of Questions Due to the personal nature of some questions, some bias is inevitable Results considered accurate +/- 6.2% 19 times out of 20

5. Overall Format General information Stress Substance use Family Social / Friends School related

6. Emotional Health Most students (over 60%) responded with 1 or 2 15% responded with 4 or 5 (represents about 150 students) How often do you feel sad, depressed, or lonely? 1 (Never) …. 5 (All the time)

7. Fatigue at School Students are tired at school! Fatigue increases with each grade Over half of grade 12’s answered 4 or 5 How often do you feel tired at school? 1 (Never) …. 5 (All the time)

8. Stress Data Rate your average level of daily stress: 1 (Stress free) …. 5 (High level of stress)

9. Sources of Stress Which aspects of your life do you find stressful? (Check all that apply)  Home life  Physical Appearance  Education / School work  The future  Social life  World issues  The Environment  Other:

10. Sources of Stress Most students (90%) find Education / School work stressful About half of students feel stress about the future Almost half of females feel stress about their appearance

11. Stress Relief Which of the following do you find relieves your stress? (Check all that apply)  Exercising  Sleeping  Reading/Writing  Music/Dance/Visual Arts  Using Drugs / Alcohol  Video games  Television/Computer  Talking with friends  Talking with family  Talking with a significant other  Socializing with friends / going out  Eating  Shopping  Crying  Other __________________

12. Stress Relief

13. How often do you use each of the following ? (Circle one number for each) Never Rarely Occasionally Frequently Daily (Monthly) (Weekly) Marijuana 1 2 3 4 5 Cocaine or Crack 1 2 3 4 5 Ecstasy 1 2 3 4 5 Cigarettes Heroin Methamphetamines (Crystal Meth etc.) Mushrooms Acid Alcohol Prescription Drugs (recreational purposes) Substance Use

14. Half of students report “Never” or “Rarely” using alcohol 20% of students use alcohol daily / weekly

15. Substance Use (continued) 65% have never used marijuana (approximately 650 students) 13 % use weekly or daily (represents approximately 130 students)

16. Comparison of Substance Usage Alcohol is the most commonly used substance More students smoke marijuana the cigarettes !

17. Substance Use (continued) Low usage rates of other drugs 15% have used perscription drugs for recreational purposes 11% have tried mushrooms (110 students) 9% have tried ecstasy (90 students)

18. Age of First Use How old were you the first time you used a drug for non- medical purposes? 15 (median) or  I have never used a drug for non-medicinal purposes. (56%) How old were you the first time you had an alcoholic beverage (other than just a sip)? 14 (median) or  I have never had an alcoholic beverage (25%)

19. Grade Differences Notable increase in regular use of alcohol from grade 9 to 12 Increase in occasional / regular marijuana use (almost double)

20. Driving while Intoxicated Have you driven with someone who you considered to be intoxicated (alcohol or drugs) ?  Y  N If yes, describe the driver (check all that have ever applied)  Male driver  Female driver  Adult driver  Teenage driver

21. Drinking and Driving About 25% of students have driven with a male or teen intoxicated driver About 8% have driven with a female or adult intoxicated driver

22. Parents / Family SRB students and their parents don’t talk much about drugs and/or alcohol!

23. Parents Substance Use Only 35% said “no” to this question Do you think any of the adults in your immediate family have ever used recreational drugs? (check one)  Yes, they still do  Yes, they did at one time  Not sure  No

24. Parents/Teen Drug Use Over 50 percent of the teens whose parents either still use or used to use recreational drugs are marijuana users. Only 10% of teens whose parents never used drugs use marijuana.

25. Parent Attitudes How do the adults in your family feel about you or your friends using alcohol ? (check one)  They encourage it  They don't mind as long as we’re responsible  They discourage it  They ignore it  I don't know How do the adults in your family feel about you or your friends using drugs ? (check one)

26. Parent Attitudes Almost half of parents discourage teens use of alcohol One in 5 teens doesn't know how their parents feel about their use of alcohol

27. Parents Attitudes More parents discourage the use of drugs than alcohol One in 5 teens doesn't know how their parents feel about their use of drugs / alcohol

28. Parent Behaviour Three quarters of students answered “Never”

29. Friends / Social Life 30% of grade 9’s say that most or all of their friends use drugs / alcohol 75% of grade 12’s say that most or all of their friends use drugs / alcohol

30. Friends / Social Situations 75% of grade 9’s never or rarely use drugs / alcohol when socializing with friends 75% of grade 12’s frequently or sometimes use drugs/alcohol when socializing with friends

31. Use at School Do you ever use drugs or alcohol during the day at school? Majority (79%) have never used drugs or alcohol at school 4% frequently use at school ( approximately 40 students)

32. Student Perceptions Only 40% perceive marijuana as dangerous

33. Student Perceptions Most students think responsible underage drinking is fine Only 19% think it’s wrong Pattern consistent across grades

34. Substance use Problems Is there an adult in your immediate family who you think has a drug or alcohol problem? (check one)  Yes  Maybe  No Do you have siblings or cousins who have had problems with drugs or alcohol? (check one) In your opinion, do any of your friends have a problem with drugs or alcohol? (check one) Have you ever thought that you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol? (check one) ¡

35. Family Substance Use Problems 18% off students have an adult in their immediate family who they feel may have a problem 37% have a sibling or cousin who may have a problem

36. Family Substance Use Problems 43% of students have a family member (adult, sibling, cousin) who they feel may have a drug or alcohol problem

37. Substance Use Problems 13 % (about 130) students think that they may have a drug or alcohol problem 59% have a friend who they think may have a problem

38. School Response What do you think the school should do about drug/alcohol use among students? (Check all that apply) No response is required – it’s not a problem Increase education and enforcement of the rules and the law Increase education about the effects of substance use and abuse Increase the sense of community at SRB Increase support services for those with problems (ex. counseling / rehab) Other ____________________________________________________________

39. School Response

40. Personal Observations Students perceive factors such as stress, family life, and social life as being related to drug / alcohol use Students find school very stressful! Dramatic increase in use from grade 9 to 12 Most students have first hand experience with someone with a problem Hard drugs are not prevalent at SRB

41. Personal Observations (cont) Alcohol is the most frequently used substance among SRB students A substantial number of students use neither drugs nor alcohol Students perceptions about the dangers of drugs / alcohol may be skewed Parent / teen communication around drugs and alcohol is lacking. Most students do see drug / alcohol as a problem that requires some school response

42. mrs_mcateer@hotmail.com With questions or for more information. Thank you!