Longitudinal associations of cannabis and illicit drug use with depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts among Nova Scotia high school students

Background and Aims: Illicit drug use is an ongoing health and social issue in Canada. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of illicit drug use and its implications for suicidal behaviors, and household food insecurity in Canada. Design: Cross-sectional population survey. Setting: Canada, using the 2015–2016 Canadian Community Health Survey, a nationally representative sample selected by stratified multi-stage probability sampling. Participants: A total of 106,850 respondents aged ≥ 12 years who had completed information on illicit drug use. Measurements: Illicit drug use was assessed through a series of questions about illicit drug use methods. Respondents who reported lifetime illicit drug use but no past-year use were considered to have prior illicit drug use. In this survey, illicit drug use included cannabis use. Findings: Overall, the prevalence of lifetime, past-year, and prior illicit drug use was 33.2% (9.8 million), 10.4% (3.1 million), and 22.7% (6.7 million), respectively. In models adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, prior illicit drug use was significantly associated with increased odds of past-year suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.21, 95% CI 1.04–1.40), and plans (1.48, 1.15–1.91), and past-year household food insecurity (1.27, 1.14–1.41), and the odds were much higher among prior injecting drug users than prior non-injecting drug users. No significant correlation was found between prior illicit drug use and past-year suicidal attempts, but there was a strong association between past-year illicit drug use and past-year suicidal attempts. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that even after people have stopped taking illicit drugs, prior illicit drug use, especially for prior injecting drug use, continues to be associated with increased risks of subsequent suicidal ideation, and plans, and household food insecurity.

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The Pediatrician's Role in Drug Education

Pediatrics in Review ◽

10.1542/pir.4.5.144 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 144-149

Author(s):

Guy S. Parcel

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Drug Use ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

School Personnel ◽

Illicit Drug Use ◽

Child And Adolescent ◽

Drug Education ◽

School Students ◽

Adolescent Drug Use ◽

Local Schools

Pediatricians involved with local schools are often asked to help in dealing with child and adolescent drug use. Most states have mandated schools to provide drug education programs; the use of drugs has become endemic to American life. The pediatrician is likely to be considered a resource in the area of drug education because of his or her knowledge of pharmacology and the potential detrimental effects of drugs. School personnel may not be aware of the pediatrician's interest and expertise in related areas such as child development and human behavior. PROBLEM OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DRUG USE Prior to 1960, most illicit drug use was confined to inner city poverty groups or isolated fringe groups. During the late 1960s, the American public became alarmed by increasing illicit drug use by the middle and upper class, especially among the young. The spread of illicit drug use was first apparent in the urban middle-class college students and eventually spread to high school students and rural populations. The use of drugs also spread in terms of the numerous types of drugs used. Marijuana became a popular drug and, in some communities, tended to be used like alcohol, as a social drug. LSD and other hallucinogens hit their peak use in the late sixties and early seventies.

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