Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth
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 wo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Addictive Behaviors Reports |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853219300355 |
| _version_ | 1819265271359078400 |
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| author | Alexandra M.E. Zuckermann Gillian Williams Katelyn Battista Margaret de Groh Ying Jiang Scott T. Leatherdale |
| author_facet | Alexandra M.E. Zuckermann Gillian Williams Katelyn Battista Margaret de Groh Ying Jiang Scott T. Leatherdale |
| author_sort | Alexandra M.E. Zuckermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. Keywords: Youth, Poly-substance use, Cigarette smoking, E-cigarettes, Alcohol, Cannabis |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:42:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d845c95b3c924a3595b7ec5dbab2608f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-8532 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:42:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Addictive Behaviors Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-d845c95b3c924a3595b7ec5dbab2608f2022-12-21T17:31:52ZengElsevierAddictive Behaviors Reports2352-85322019-12-0110Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youthAlexandra M.E. Zuckermann0Gillian Williams1Katelyn Battista2Margaret de Groh3Ying Jiang4Scott T. Leatherdale5University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada, Applied Research Division, 785 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada; Corresponding author at: Public Health Agency of Canada, Applied Research Division, 785 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaUniversity of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaPublic Health Agency of Canada, Applied Research Division, 785 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, CanadaPublic Health Agency of Canada, Applied Research Division, 785 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, CanadaUniversity of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaIntroduction: 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. Keywords: Youth, Poly-substance use, Cigarette smoking, E-cigarettes, Alcohol, Cannabishttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853219300355 |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra M.E. Zuckermann Gillian Williams Katelyn Battista Margaret de Groh Ying Jiang Scott T. Leatherdale Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth Addictive Behaviors Reports |
| title | Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth |
| title_full | Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth |
| title_fullStr | Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth |
| title_short | Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth |
| title_sort | trends of poly substance use among canadian youth |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853219300355 |
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