Students give ideas on substance abuse prevention

Young teens in southwestern Ontario are using drugs and alcohol athigher rates than elswhere in Ontario, according to recent provincial surveys.

On Monday,the United Wayreleased the results ofanothersurvey aimed at combating the problem.

Grade eight Catholic school students were asked to anonymously answer questions about what makes them consider using drugs and alcohol and what it would take to make them reconsider taking illicit substances.

A total of 619 students from Windsor, Ont., and Essex Countytook theWindsor-Essex Youth Opinion surveyduring school hours last fall. The study targeted grade eights because it's considered an "at risk"year for drug and alcohol experimentation.

'We know more about them than most adults think'

One quarter of the students surveyed had used alcohol and five per centor less had used inhalants, prescription drugs, cigarettes, or marijuana.

One student wrote, "We know more about them than most adults think."

The majority of the students surveyed were well aware of the harmful effects of smoking and regular drug use, but only a few perceived any problem with regular alcohol use.

Colleen Mitchell, a director at the United Way which led the survey effort, said that was one of the most concerning aspects of the survey.

"That means that we need to do some really good work around education campaigns. We need to be getting the message out about how it can have an effect," Mitchell said.

About half of the students said the biggest reasons to use drugs or alochol were if a friend offered them, or if therewaspressure to fit in.

More than 50 per cent ofthe students surveyed said education about drugs and alcohol should begin at 10 years of age or younger.

Roughly one of every two studentssaid hearing stories from people who'd experienced abuse would stop them from taking drugs and alcohol. Students also said that talking to their teachers in a classroom setting was helpful in preventing abuse.

Officials hope to use the survey results to tailor prevention and awareness programs to young people.