Myth or reality?
Activities for young people between the ages of 17 and 24.
Statement 1
The number of young people age 15 to
24 who drink alcohol goes up every year.
Answer
Myth
According to the Canadian Alcohol and Drug
Use Monitoring Survey conducted by Health
Canada in 2011, 70.8%—or fewer than three
quarters—of young Canadians age 15 to 24
said they had used alcohol during the previous
12 months. This was down from 82.9% in the
2004 study.
Statement 2
When I drink alcohol I can feel more relaxed,
funnier, or smarter.
Answer
Myth
There’s no assurance that drinking will make you a nicer or
more fun person. Alcohol and drugs affect brain function,
altering the way neurons communicate and interfering with
your senses, which can impair your judgment, make you
behave differently, and hamper your coordination. It’s
possible to function as you normally would under the effect
of drugs or alcohol, but you surely won’t become smarter
or more fun!
Statement 3
I’m the only one affected by the negative stuff
that can result when I consume alcohol or
other drugs—so it’s nobody else’s business!
Answer
Myth
It’s true that the negative aspects of alcohol or drug abuse affect users directly. For instance, they
might experience:
• Injuries after a fight or accident
• Physical problems (headache, digestive issues, low energy)
• Psychological problems (inattentiveness in class, bad moods, irritability, anxiety, depression, etc.).
But families can suffer too, and so can friends and people you’re close to, if there are:
• Relationship problems (big arguments when the user is under the influence of alcohol or drugs,
disagreements over their use, and so on)
• Unprotected sexual encounters that can result in sexually transmitted infections or unwanted
pregnancies, and take a toll on emotions and relationships
And we’re not even talking about the highway accidents that result from driving under the
influence. The victims are often perfect strangers, and there can be short-, medium-, or long- term
consequences for all.
Can you describe some other ways that substance abuse affects us?
Statement 4
Drug use among people ages 15 to 24 has
been decreasing for a few years.
Answer
Reality
According to data obtained through the Canadian Alcohol
and Drug Use Monitoring Survey (January 2011), marijuana
use during the 12 months prior to the survey decreased
among young people ages 15 to 24, from 37% in 2004
to 21.6% in 2011. Usage of drugs other than alcohol and
marijuana fell from 11.3% in 2004 to 4.8% in 2011.
Statement 5
Gambling is growing increasingly more
popular with people age 17 and up.
Answer
Myth
In general, secondary student involvement in
gambling has decreased since 2002. More specifically,
among youths in Secondary 5 it has fallen from 61.5%
in 2002 to 47.5% in 2008.
(Québec Survey of Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling in High School Students, conducted in 2008 by Institut de la statistique du Québec).
Statement 6
Practice sites for online gambling let you
sharpen your skills before you move up to
more serious sites where you can win big!
Answer
Myth
It’s generally acknowledged that the odds of
winning are higher on practice sites, where
people can play without wagering their
money, than they are on pay-to-play sites.
Statement 7
Friday nights, Sophie goes out with her
friends and always has at least five drinks.
Even though she doesn’t drink at all the rest
of the week, we can say she’s abusing
alcohol.
Answer
Reality
Alcohol or drug abusers aren’t necessarily drinking or taking
drugs several times a week—but when they do indulge,
it involves large quantities (five or more drinks) and a
combination of substances. Substance abusers are often
trying to get their minds off things, to forget their problems,
or disconnect from reality. Over time, abuse of alcohol or
drugs can result in physical or psychological dependency.
It can also lead to other problems, like dropping out of
school, losing a job, delinquency, or violence.
Statement 8
Consuming more and more alcohol or drugs—
and doing so more often—is one of the signs
that a person is becoming dependent or
developing a substance abuse problem.
Answer
Reality
Here are some other signs:
• Spending a great deal of time thinking about drugs or alcohol, including
how to get and consume them, or find the money to buy them
• Losing interest in favorite activities or hobbies and in non-using friends
• Wanting to cut back or manage one’s use—without being able to
actually do so
• Using to feel better or braver, or to forget one’s problems
• Needing to use more and more, in order to get the same effect
• Feeling guilty about drug or alcohol use
Statement 9
Chug-offs are a sure way to show who the
real drinkers are.
Answer
Myth
Chugging doesn’t prove a thing. You may look tough—but alcohol will still have an effect.
And chugging is dangerous. It can cause severe alcohol intoxication, which can result in death
in less than an hour. That’s why it’s so important to closely monitor anyone who appears to have
consumed a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time. Never leave that person alone.
The signs of severe intoxication are:
• Significant or total inability to react
• Loss of consciousness or deep sleep
• Respiratory distress
• Weak pulse
• Repeated vomiting
• Excessive perspiration
• Damp or cold skin (hypothermia).
WARNING: A person exhibiting these signs should never be left alone. Call 911.
Statement 10
Two people who each buy ecstasy tablets
from the same dealer can expect to be taking
the same concoction.
Answer
Myth
Health Canada chemists analyzed samples of seized designer
drugs and found that two pills that appear to be identical
may actually be made of completely different substances.
So someone taking these drugs may think they’re getting
“product X”...when they’re really taking something entirely
different. They may feel nothing at all, or the effect they
expect—in part or in whole—or they may experience an
extremely strong or even toxic reaction. It’s important to
realize that taking designer drugs is always risky, since there’s
no way of knowing exactly what you’re getting.