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Substance Use on Campuses

The life period that someone first initiates substance use or risky behaviour varies, but many people begin to experiment notably in high school, and during post-secondary years. Trends in recent drug use among Ontario students in grades 7-12 include an increase in nonmedical use of prescription opioids from 13% in 2021 to 22% in 2023 (Boak & Hamilton, 2024). The use of alcohol, nicotine (smoking and vaping), and cannabis are somewhat common among high school students, with age of first use for these substances averaging around 15 (Boak & Hamilton, 2024; Holligan et al., 2019; Stewart et al., 2022). Students are more commonly exposed to unregulated substances in later years as they enter post-secondary environments.

While most students remain relatively safe when they consume substances or engage in potentially risky behaviours, there are nevertheless important negative impacts on individuals, campus, and surrounding communities. Results from the 2021-22 Canadian Post-Secondary Education Alcohol and Drug Use survey show the most recent information regarding student substance use patterns (Health Canada, 2024).

AlcoholCannabisOpiod, Stimulant or Sedative
  • 45% of students stated that they drank heavily in the past 30 days.
  • Among those who drank, almost half of the students experienced at least 1 alcohol related harm in the past month.
  • 40% of the students said that their alcohol consumption stayed the same with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 30% consumed more.
  • 64% experienced harms related to cannabis use.
  • Alcohol was the top choice of substance used with Cannabis among students.
  • Cannabis use increased among 47% of students with the onset of the pandemic.
  • 13% of students had used a substance (pain reliever, stimulant, etc) in a high risk manner in the past year.
  • 12% used illegal substances such as cocaine and heroine.
  • 2% of students smoked daily.
  • 8% vaped daily.

The survey also found reported rates of overall alcohol and cannabis use to have decreased compared to 2019-20. Nevertheless, students reported greater use of alcohol and cannabis if their mental health was poor compared to those with good mental health since the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey reported stress reduction and curiosity as primary reasons
for vaping among youth of post-secondary age, while those who were 25 years and older used it for smoking cessation (Health Canada, 2023).

Harm Reduction

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