How many is too many? Alcohol use and associated harms

How Many is Too Many for BC Youth? ▪Aims of the report: –Identify harmful levels of alcohol consumption –Consider risk and protective factors related to risky drinking –Identify regional differences If youth under 19 decide to drink they should: Speak to their parents or guardians about drinking Never have more than 1 to 2 drinks per occasion Never drink more than 1 or 2 times per week For youth aged years: Females should never have more than 2 drinks a day and never more than 10 drinks a week Males should never have more than 3 drinks a day and never more than 15 drinks a week. Canada’s Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines

Administration of the BC Adolescent Health Survey 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey ▪29,832 surveys were completed ▪1,645 classrooms ▪56 school districts ▪325 PHN’s and nursing students

Youth who drank alcohol

Youth who had not drunk alcohol ▪Over half of BC youth had never had an alcohol drink ▪Generally, a more positive health profile ▪These youth were less likely to : –Have 3 or more friends –Feel engaged in their activities

Age of first alcohol use

Is early use harmful? – Overall and mental health

Is early use harmful?– School and community ▪Early use was associated with: –Not planning on carry on to post-secondary –Feeling less connected to school Note: The difference between 15 years or older and had not tried alcohol was not statistically significant.

Is early use harmful?– Health risk behaviours ▪Those who tried alcohol at 12 or younger –Three times more likely to have had an STI –Six times more likely to have been involved in a pregnancy

Youth who started drinking in the past year

Youth who started drinking in the past year ▪Those who first used alcohol within the past year used alcohol for different reasons. ▪More likely to be using alcohol because: –Experimenting –Wanting to have fun ▪Less likely to be using alcohol because: –They were sad –They were stressed

How often are youth drinking?

Is it harmful to drink regularly? – Overall and mental health Canada’s Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines: Youth should not drink on more than one or two days a week

Is it harmful to drink regularly? – School and community ▪Drinking on 10 or more days was associated with: –Lower community connectedness –Less engagement in activities –Fewer close friends –Lower school connectedness –Reduced likelihood of having post-secondary plans –More frequently skipping school

Is it harmful to drink regularly?– Health risk behaviours ▪More frequent alcohol use was linked to injuries and injury prevention behaviours.

Is it harmful to have more than one or two drinks? Youth should not have more than one or two drinks on any one occasion. Canada’s Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines Males should not have more than three drinks a day, females should not have more than two drinks a day. Binge Drinking (3+ for females 4+ for males) Heavy Sessional Drinking (5 or more drinks)

Is it harmful to have more than one or two drinks? - Heavy sessional drinking

Is it harmful to have more than one or two drinks? - Binge drinking

Use in the past month – age and gender differences ▪Younger youth who had been drinking on 1 or 2 days –Higher rates of extreme stress –More likely to have considered suicide ▪Younger females were more likely than younger males to –Drink on 3 or more days –Engage in heavy sessional drinking

What are the consequences of alcohol use? Consequences of alcohol use in the past year (among youth who had used alcohol exclusively) Was told I did something I couldn’t remember21% Passed out12% Got injured4% Argued with family members4% Lost friends or broke up with a girlfriend or boyfriend 3% Damaged property2% School work or grades changed2% Got into a physical fight1% Got in trouble with police1% Had sex when I didn’t want to1% Overdosed<1% Had to get treatment for alcohol or drug abuseNR

What are the reasons for alcohol use? Most common reasons youth used alcohol the last time they drank (among youth who had used alcohol exclusively) Wanted to have fun56% Wanted to experiment30% Friends were doing it27% Because of stress9% Felt down or sad7% Nothing else to do4% Pressured into it3% Didn’t mean to do it (e.g., someone spiked my drink)1% To manage physical pain1% To help focus<1%

Who is at risk for harmful alcohol use? ▪Youth in rural areas ▪Youth who were born in Canada ▪Youth who were employed ▪Sexual minority youth

Who is at risk for harmful alcohol use? - Poverty

Who is at risk for harmful alcohol use? - Youth who had experienced abuse or violence

Who is at risk for harmful alcohol use? - Peer relationships 3 or more friends = more likely to have started drinking alcohol at 12 years old or younger Females with 6 or more friends Males with 10 or more friends =more likely to engage in heavy sessional drinking

What protective factors are linked to less harmful use? - Family ▪Family connectedness ▪Parental monitoring ▪Supportive adult

What protective factors are linked to less harmful use? - School ▪School connectedness ▪Positive peer relationships at school ▪Helpful school staff

What protective factors are linked to less harmful use? - Peers ▪Number of close friends can be both a risk and protective factor ▪Positive influence of prosocial peers

Summary Alcohol use is common among youth in British Columbia. Generally, youth who drink within the Canadian Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines report a more positive health picture and less negative consequences than those who exceed the guidelines Family, school, and peer support were all linked to less risky alcohol consumption.

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