P.E.I. students lead country in binge drinking, pot use

Students on P.E.I. have the highest rates of binge drinking and marijuana use in the country, according to a new survey released by Health Canada.

The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey is released once every two years. The current survey uses data from 2014-15.

Alcohol use

The survey found Island students, in grades 7-12, had the highest rate of binge drinking in the country, defined as having five or more drinks on one occasion.

The survey asked if the student had engaged in binge drinking in the last 12 months.

• P.E.I.: 32.2 per cent (within 1.9 percentage points)
• Canada: 23.7 per cent (within 1.7 percentage points)

The next highest rate of binge drinking was in Newfoundland and Labrador at 30.1 per cent (within 2.9 percentage points).

Cannabis use

P.E.I. students also reported the highest rate of cannabis use in the country.

Again, students in grades 7-12 were asked if they had used cannabis in the last 12 months.

• P.E.I.: 24.8 per cent (within 2.3 percentage points)
• Canada: 16.5 per cent (within 1.3 percentage points)

New Brunswick was not included in the results for binge drinking or cannabis use due to a lack of responses.

Smoking

Island students also ranked high in the country in terms of tobacco use.

Students in grades 6-12 were asked if they were currently smokers.

• P.E.I.: 6.6 per cent (within 1.2 percentage points)
• Canada: 3.4 per cent (within 0.6 percentage points)

The rate on P.E.I. could be the highest in the country.

It is tied with Newfoundland and Labrador (6.6 per cent within 2.0 percentage points. Manitoba is listed at 6.9 per cent, but that province has a much higher margin of error (within 3.0 percentage points).

The survey reached 2,256 students on P.E.I., and 42,094 students across Canada.

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