Alcohol Use in Youth

Introduction

Canada's Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRADGs) were released Nov. 25, 2011, and help Canadians moderate their alcohol consumption and reduce their immediate and long-term alcohol-related harm.¹  This report presents information on the first two Guidelines of the LRADGs.

• 10 drinks a week for women, with no more than 2 drinks a day on most days
• 15 drinks a week for men, with no more than 3 drinks a day on most days
• There should be non-drinking days (2 days a week for the figures shown here) every week to avoid developing a habit.

Guideline 2: Reduce your risk of injury and harm by drinking no more than 3 drinks for women and 4 drinks for men on any single occasion.  Please note that in our analysis for all years prior to 2013 & 2014 (due to data limitations) both men and women who have 5 or more drinks on any one occasion are considered to exceed Guideline 2.  All analysis was completed using the current guidelines for comparison purposes.

Guidelines 3: Do not drink when you are: driving a vehicle or using machinery and tools, taking medicine or other drugs that interact with alcohol, doing any kind of dangerous physical activity, living with mental or physical health problems, living with alcohol dependence, pregnant or planning to be pregnant, responsible for the safety of others, or making important decisions.

Guideline 4: if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or before breastfeeding, the safest choice is to drink no alcohol at all.

Guideline 5:  If you are a child or youth, you should delay drinking until your late teens. Talk with your parents about drinking. Alcohol can harm the way your brain and body develop.  Teens should speak with their parents about drinking. If they choose to drink, they should do so under parental guidance; never more than 1-2 drinks at a time, and never more than 1-2 times per week. Youth in their late teens to age 24 years should never exceed the daily and weekly limits outlined in Guideline 1.

Type of drinker definitions

All indicators in the Alcohol Use in Youth Facts & Figures are for the previous 12 months.

Regular drinker: has at least one drink a month in the previous 12 months.

Occasional drinker: drinks less than once per month in the previous 12 months.

Everyday drinker: has at least one drink a day in the previous 12 months.

Binge drinker: has had 4+ (females) or 5+ (males) drinks on one occasion in the previous 12 months.  Please note that in our analysis for all years prior to 2013 & 2014 (due to data limitations) both men and women who have 5 or more drinks on any one occasion are considered to have binge drank. 

Heavy drinker: has had 4+ (females) or 5+ (males) drinks on one occasion at least once a month during the previous 12 months.  Please note that in our analysis for all years prior to 2013 & 2014 (due to data limitations) both men and women who have 5 or more drinks on any one occasion at least once a month are considered to be heavy drinkers. 

Did not drink: has not had a drink in the previous 12 months.

Youth who drink alcohol

Figure A. Youth, 12 to 18, who had one or more drinks, in KFL&A and Ontario

*Use with caution due to high variability.

*Use with caution due to high variability.

Interpretation for Figure A

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 33.2*% (21.1, 48.2) of youth 12 to 18 who've had one or more drinks in the previous 12 months.  The proportion of youth who've had one or more drinks in the previous 12 months in Ontario in 2013 & 2014 is lower than 2011 & 2012.

*Use with caution due to high variability.

Figure B. Youth, 12 to 18, who had one or more drinks, by sex, Ontario

Table B.  Youth, 12 to 18, who had one or more drinks, by sex, Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)

Interpretation for Figure B

There are no differences by sex in youth who've had any alcohol in the previous 12 months in Ontario.

Type of Drinker

Regular drinker: has at least one drink a month in the previous 12 months.

Occasional drinker: drinks less than once per month in the previous 12 months.

Did not drink: has not had a drink in the previous 12 months.

Regular drinkers by sex

Regular drinker: has at least one drink a month in the previous 12 months.

Figure E. Regular drinkers, youth, 12 to 18, by sex, Ontario

Interpretation for Figure E

In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, 16.1% (13.8, 18.7) of male youth 12 to 18 and 14.3% (12.2, 16.6) of female youth 12 to 18 were considered regular drinkers.  There are no differences in the proportion of regular drinkers by sex.  The proportion of male youth regular drinkers in 2013 & 2014 is less than the proportion in 2005 and years prior.

Frequency of Drinking

Figure F.  Frequency of drinking in youth, 12 to 18, Ontario, 2013 & 2014

Interpretation for Figure F

In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, almost 10% of you age 12 to 19, 9.9% (8.6, 11.5), drank 2 or more times per month. 

Binge Drinker

Binge drinker: has had 4+ (females) or 5+ (males) drinks on one occasion in the previous 12 months.  Please note that in our analysis for all years prior to 2013 & 2014 (due to data limitations) both men and women who have 5 or more drinks on any one occasion are considered to have binge drank. 

Figure G. Binge drinkers, youth, 12 to 18, Ontario, 2013 & 2014

Interpretation for Figure G

In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, 17.1% (15.5, 19.0) of youth binge drank at least once in the previous 12 months.

Figure H. Frequency of binge drinking in youth, 12 to 18, Ontario, 2013 & 2014

Interpretation for Figure H

In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, 6.7% (5.6, 8.0) of youth aged 12 to 18 binge drank at least once per month in the previous 12 months. 

Confidence intervals explained

Researchers look at the "confidence levels" of percentages being compared to decide if there is a statistically significant difference between percentages. A statistically significant difference means that:

• the difference between two percentages is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone, and
• there is a true difference or change in the percentages.

In this report, 95% confidence intervals will accompany each percentage in all figures and tables.  This interval represents the range in which we are 95% confident the true percentage will fall within.  In tables, the 95% confidence intervals will be written with the percentage, followed by the 95% confidence interval range in brackets (e.g., 25% (12.3, 32.4)).  In figures, the 95% confidence interval is represented by vertical bars in each bar line.

References

1. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.  Canada's Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines.  Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse [document on internet]. 2011 [cited 2016 Apr 27]. Available from: http://www.ccsa.ca/Eng/topics/alcohol/drinking-guidelines/Pages/default.aspx