TY - JOUR
KW - Alcohol
KW - cannabis
KW - Cigarette smoking
KW - E-Cigarettes
KW - Poly-substance use
KW - YOUTH
AU - A. M. E. Zuckermann
AU - G. Williams
AU - K. Battista
AU - M. de Groh
AU - Y. Jiang
AU - S. T. Leatherdale
A1 - 
AB - 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.
AD - University 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.; University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.; University 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.; 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, Canada.
BT - Addictive behaviors reports
C5 - Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities; Opioids & Substance Use
DO - 10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100189
JF - Addictive behaviors reports
LA - eng
M1 - Journal Article
N2 - 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.
PY - 2019
SN - 2352-8532; 2352-8532
SP - 100189
T1 - Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth
T2 - Addictive behaviors reports
TI - Trends of poly-substance use among Canadian youth
U1 - Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities; Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 31193263
U3 - 10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100189
VL - 10
VO - 2352-8532; 2352-8532
Y1 - 2019
Y2 - May 10
ER -