Youth Substance Use: Awareness, Prevention and Solutions April 23, 2010 Tiffany Wood-Lycett, School Social Worker, TVDSB Jessica Austin, Youth Prevention Worker, ADSTV

Welcome Tiffany-- who are you? Jessica-- who are you? Challenge...

Getting to Know Each Other What level of exposure do you have?? Minimal... Regular... Daily....

What We’re Here to Learn... Youth Substance Use: Awareness, Prevention and Solutions ✢ Youth substance use: a brief overview ✢ Behavioural indicators of use ✢ Impact of substance use on school success ✢ Resources, programs and agencies that can help ✢ Creative ways to prevent and support substance involved youth –Why?

Did you know.... In a provincial public health survey, 14.1 % of youth(surveyed)in OUR Southwest area reported having 3 or more of the following problems at the same time: Why is this significant to us? This means that 14% of students are at significant risk!...by the way, this was the second highest rating of co-morbid reports in all of Ontario-- and Toronto’s rating was less than half of this. ✢ Psychological distress ✢ Hazardous drinking ✢ Drug problems ✢ Delinquent behaviour

Canadian Statistics ✢ The overwhelming majority of youth in Canada do no have alcohol or drug problems...but most do ‘experiment’ ✢ In Ontario, over 25% of youth used cannabis in 2007 (N= ) ✢ In Canada, the number of young persons charged with drug posession has tripled over the past decade ✢ Between 1991 and 2005 the percentage of youth reporting selling Cannabis more than doubled ✢ Over 1/3 of students grade 7-9 have binged on alcohol ✢ Over 40% of year olds have binged on alcohol ✢ 29% of year olds report use of Canabis ✢ 10% of students have used hallucinogenic drugs ✢ Under 10% have used other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy ✢ Use of OxyContin and methamphetamines is a regional issue (nationwide 1%)

School Related Factors ✢ Between grade 7 and 8 the likelihood of using illicit drugs increases ✢ In Ontario, students with a C average or below are more likely to report illicit drug use and hazardous alcohol use ✢ Lack of commitment to school and low bonding with other students and teachers is seen as a significant risk factor for teen substance abuse ✢ 87% of teens reported that they believed their parents to be a credible source of information about illicit drugs ✢ Research has PROVEN that when youth: 1.speak to caring adults in their lives about drug use AND; 2. where the adult monitors the youth’s activities the likelihood of use is much less!

Activity Risk Factors Protective Factors

Behavioural Indicators of Addiction Change is the key... ✢ School performance? ✢ Motivation/drive? ✢ Attitude toward sports and other activities? ✢ Weight or physical activity? ✢ Eating or sleeping habits? ✢ Friends or peer group? ✢ Behaviour? ✢ Future plans? ✢ What do you do?

Is it a problem? Four main areas when the youth wants to talk to you about their drug use... ✢ Tolerance ✢ Physical Dependence ✢ Psychological Dependence ✢ Effects of use

Impact of Substance Use on School Success... ✢ Impaired judgment ✢ Lack of concentration ✢ Lack of motivation ✢ Poor memory ✢ Actual physical illness ✢ Increased absenteeism ✢ Loss of trusting relationships ✢ Dammaged relationships with peers and adults ✢ Lack of access to extra-curriculars ✢ Progressive discipline

TVDSB Policies and Procedures... ✢ Codes of conduct: discourage use or trafficing ✢ Bill 157 ✢ What do you do?

Harm Reduction “Accurate and unbiased information on the harm of use to potential users in order to help them make informed decisions about whether to use and if they choose to use what precautions to take to minimize their risk.” Dr. Christiane Poulin, M.D.

Best Practices for Working with Youth and Substances... ✢ Accessible and flexible ✢ Youth directed ✢ Location and atmosphere ✢ Holistic and biopsychosocial ✢ Strength based skill building ✢ Safe respectful service ✢ Meaningful involvement ✢ Youth not a homogeneous group

Creative Ways to Prevent and Support Substance Involved Youth ✢ Multi-media communication, word of mouth= main ways of communicting ✢ PIER Project Research has shown youth access the internet as their primary information source on substance

A real life example... “I want to get the information straight. My health class teacher told us that marijuana is not addictive and does not give you cancer like cigarettes or is not as dangerous as the other drugs like cocaine, meth, etc., WHY is it so bad to smoke marijuana, if it’s not that bad for you?” – annonymous youth at local Talbot Teen Centre

A Case Example A High School Support Group... ✢ Joe: using since entrance to secondary, unstable home, CAS involvement, living with grandparents in town, 18 credits, gr.12. 1x residential treatment ✢ Charlie: using since grade 7, siblings, rural home, 16 credits, 2 parents, gr.12, 2x residential treatment, best friend died in elementary school ✢ Jason: using since entrance to secondary, BFF with Charlie, siblings, rural home, 15 credits, 2 parents, gr.11, No previous treatment ✢ Allan: single mother, living in rural area, no siblings in home, gr.12, 13 credits, 1x residential treatment, father died ✢ Mike: using since entrance to secondary, single mother, living in town, siblings, 21 credits, father died, 1x residential treatment

Resources Programs and Agencies That Can Help ✢ Handouts

Knowing All of this Info: What level of exposure do you have?? Minimal... Regular... Daily....

Presentation Sources ✢ Kids and Drugs: a Parent’s Guide to Prevention AND; Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission ✢ The Mental Health and Well- Being of Ontario Students , OSDUS and CAM-H. AND; Ontario Youth Strategy Project All available at-- ✢ Talking With Your Teen About Drugs Government of Canada. ✢ Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Activities. AND; Harm Reduction For Special Populations in Canada AND; Action News March 2010 All available at-- ✢ Drug Use Among Ontario Students

Questions? Evaluation

Thank you for coming!....and goodbye