Youth Of Canada Wary Of Cigarettes But Not Of Alcohol

Lesser number of Canadian youth smoking but a larger number of them is experimenting with alcohol.

According to a report realised on Wednesday by health Canada reduced number of Canadian youth are trying to smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products in 2004-2005 in comparison to a decade ago.

It was announced that the 2004-05 ‘Youth Smoking Survey’ for calculating the prevalence of smoking was conducted on a survey of 29, 000 Canadian students who were questioned at school. Health Minister Tony Clement said, “The survey results show fewer young people in Grades 5 to 9 are trying and using tobacco products. This research is evidence that progress is being made in discouraging youth from taking up smoking.”

Reports indicate that students in Grades 5 to 9 are considered to be mostly at risk for trying cigarettes and other tobacco products, such as cigars or pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff. It was also reported that the average age for a child to try a whole cigarette for the first time has currently risen by around 6 months over the last decade, with the age currently being 11.8 yrs.

Health Canada also stated that the findings found that there were no marked difference in incidence of trying cigarettes between boys and girls, although boys were more likely to try other tobacco products. The report had also found that though the experimenting with smoking has declined among the youth over the decade, there an increase in those trying alcohol by 12%. Figures show that in 2004-05, 63% of all youth in 7th to 9th Grades have tried alcohol in comparison to 54% in 2002.

The report suggested that the average age of first trying alcohol being around 10.9 years old. It was also mentioned that youth these days don’t merely take a sip or two, but almost 37% of them consume 5 or more drinks in a sitting. Health Canada has also announced that the next Youth Smoking Survey would be carried out during the current school year.

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Source-Medindia
VIK