About

The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey
Illustration of students and school supplies.

Students

Illustration of an open book and school supplies.
7–12

Grades

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Schools

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  • ABOUT OSDUHS
  • OSDUHS reports

The 2017 OSDUHS Drug Use Report

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) is the longest ongoing school survey of adolescents in Canada, and one of the longest in the world. The OSDUHS has been conducted every two years since 1977, and 2017 marks the study’s 40th anniversary. A total of 11,435 students in grades 7 through 12 from 52 school boards, 214 schools, and 764 classes participated in the 2017 OSDUHS, which was administered by the Institute for Social Research, York University. This report describes the past year use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, nonmedical (NM) use of prescription drugs, and other substances of concern, and changes since 1977. Also examined are harms related to drug use, perceptions and attitudes, and exposure to drugs. All data are based on self-reports derived from anonymous questionnaires administered in classrooms between November 2016 and June 2017.
MORE ON THE OSDUHS

OSDUHS Reports

2017 OSDUHS Drug Use Report cover

2017 Detailed findings

Download your copy of the 2017 OSDUHS Detailed findings as a PDF.
Download
2015 OSDUHS Drug Use Report cover

2015 Detailed findings

Download your copy of the 2015 OSDUHS Detailed findings as a PDF.
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Past Year Use

2017

Significant Changes

In Past Year Drug Use
Illustration of OTC cough and cold medication.
2015 2017
Ecstasy 5.4% Decrease arrow pointing down. 3.4%
Salvia Divinorum 1.6% Decrease arrow pointing down. 0.6%
Jimson Weed 1.8% Decrease arrow pointing down. 0.8%
OTC cough/cold medication 6.4% Increase arrow pointing up. 9.2%
Illustration of ecstasy pills and salvia divinorum plant.

Drug Overview

Fentanyl

Emerging Issue
1%
Pale rounded rectangle background. Crushed fentanyl powder and pills illustration. One percent of grades 9 to 12 students report using fentanyl in the past year.

Grades 9-12

Opioids

NonMedical
11%
Pale rounded rectangle background. Opioid pills and bottle illustration. Eleven percent of grades 7 to 12 students report using nonmedical opioids in the past year.

Grades 7-12

Electronic Cigarettes

Vaping
11%
Pale rounded rectangle background. Vaping device and liquid illustration. Eleven percent of grades 7 to 12 students report using electronic cigarettes in the past year.

Grades 7-12

Waterpipe

Hookah
6%
Pale rounded rectangle background. Waterpipe illustration. Six percent of grades 7 to 12 students report using a waterpipe in the past year.

Grades 7-12

Alcohol

43%
Illustration of two wine bottles and a pint of beer. Forty-three percent of grades 7-12 students report drinking alcohol in the past year.

of students report drinking in the past year

report binge drinking in the past month

report getting drunk in the past month

report drinking hazardously in the past year*

could not remember what happened when they were drinking on at least one occasion*

were injured or injured someone else because of their drinking in the past year*

are allowed to drink at home with their friends*

*Grades 9-12

35%
Illustration of a grocery basket filled with groceries and beer. Thirty-five percent of grades 9 to 12 students believe it would be easier to buy beer at the grocery store vs. LCBO.

of grades 9–12 students believe it would be easier to buy beer at the grocery store vs. LCBO

4%
Illustration of two students driving in a car under the influence of alcohol. Four percent of grades 10 to 12 students report drinking and driving.

of grades 10–12 students report drinking and driving

Alcoholpast year use
Beer bottle illustration.G7
Grade 7: 10.5%
Beer can illustration.G8
Grade 8: 11.8%
Beer bottle illustration.G9
Grade 9: 31.8%
Beer can illustration.G10
Grade 10: 49.9%
Beer bottle illustration.G11
Grade 11: 60.6%
Beer can illustration.G12
Grade 12: 68.3%
Read more
  • Drinking & Driving
  • Source of Alcohol
  • First Use
  • Long-Term TrendS
DRINKING & DRIVING
1977-2017
(AMONG Grade 11)
DRINKING & DRIVING versus CANNABIS use & DRIVING
1999–2017
(AMONG LICENSED GRADES 10, 11 & 12)
Note: In 1999 Cannabis and driving was not included.
USUAL SOURCE OF ALCOHOL AMONG UNDERAGE DRINKERS
2017
(UNDER AGE 19)
Note: the response options 'I bought it in a grocery store', 'I bought it at a public event' and 'I took it form somewhere else' are not shown due to supressed estimates (unreliability).
AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST TOBACCO CIGARETTE, FIRST ALCOHOLIC DRINK, AND FIRST CANNABIS USE
1999-2017
(Grade 12)
LONG-TERM TRENDS FOR CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL, CANNABIS USE IN PAST YEAR
1977-2017
(Grades 7, 9 & 11)
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Cannabis

19%
Illustration of a marijuanna plant, joints and a baggie of weed. Nineteen percent of grades 7 to 12 students report smoking cannabis in the past year.

of students report smoking cannabis in the past year

report using cannabis daily in the past month

have symptoms of cannabis dependence*

usually obtained cannabis from a friend

*Grades 9-12.

13%
Illustration of a cannabis leaf, wine bottle and a beer pint. Thirteen percent of grades 7 to 12 students used alcohol and cannabis on the same occasion at least once in the past year.

of students used alcohol and cannabis on the same occasion

9%
Illustration of two students driving high. Nine percent of grades 10 to 12 students report using cannabis and driving.

of grade 10–12 students report using cannabis and driving

Cannabispast year use
Bag of weed.G7
Grade 7: 2.0%
Joint.G8
Grade 8: 2.0%
Joint.G9
Grade 9: 9.3%
Bag of cannabis.G10
Grade 10: 19.9%
Joint.G11
Grade 11: 30.4%
Bag of weed.G12
Grade 12: 36.9%
Cannabis Legalization
35%
Illustration of a gavel and cannabis leaf. Thirty-five percent of grades 7 to 12 students think cannabis use should be legal for adults.

of students think cannabis use should be legal for adults

of students think cannabis use should not be legal

of students are unsure whether cannabis use should be legal

62%
Illustration of cannabis plant, joints and a bag of weed overlapped by a prohibition sign. Sixty-two percent of grades 7 to 12 students do not intend to use cannabis even if legalized.

of students do not intend to use cannabis even if legalized

indicate they will use cannabis as often as they do now

indicate that they will try cannabis

will use cannabis more often than now

are not sure about their intentions to use

Modes of Cannabis Use
Grades 9–12
21%
Illustration of a bong and a cannabis leaf. Twenty-one percent of grades 9 to 12 students smoke cannabis in a pipe or bong.

smoke cannabis in a pipe or bong

20%
Illustration of a cannabis leaf and multiple joints. Twenty percent of grades 9 to 12 students smoke cannabis in a joint.

smoke cannabis in a joint

11%
Illustration of a cannabis leaf, candies and a brownie. Eleven percent of grades 9 to 12 students eat cannabis in food products.

eat cannabis in food products (i.e., brownies or candies)

2%
Illustration of a cannabis leaf, a tea bag, a slice of lemon and a tea cup. Two percent of grades 9 to 12 students use cannabis in a drink.

use cannabis in a drink

Read more
  • Cannabis & Driving
  • Source of Cannabis
  • First Use
  • Long-Term Trend
DRINKING & DRIVING versus CANNABIS use & DRIVING
1999–2017
(AMONG LICENSED GRADES 10, 11 & 12)
Note: In 1999 Cannabis and driving was not included.
USUAL SOURCE OF CANNABIS AMONG USERS
2017
(Grades 7–12)
Note: the response options 'I took it from home' and 'It was given to me by one of my parents' are not shown due to supressed estimates (unreliability).
AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST TOBACCO CIGARETTE, FIRST ALCOHOLIC DRINK, AND FIRST CANNABIS USE
1999-2017
(Grade 12)
LONG-TERM TRENDS in CIGARETTE, ALCOHOL and CANNABIS USE
1977-2017
(Grades 7, 9 & 11)
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Tobacco Cigarettes

7%
Tobacco cigarette pack and ashtray. Seven percent of grades 7 to 12 students report smoking tobacco cigarettes in the past year.

of students report smoking tobacco cigarettes in the past year

report smoking daily in the past year

of smokers obtain cigarettes from friends or family

report smoking contraband cigarettes in the past year

report using smokeless tobacco in the past year

Cigarettespast year use
Cigarette.G7
Grade 7: estimate suppressed due to unreliability
Cigarette.G8
Grade 8: estimate suppressed due to unreliability
Cigarette.G9
Grade 9: 2.8%
Cigarette.G10
Grade 10: 6.4%
Cigarette.G11
Grade 11: 11.1%
Cigarette.G12
Grade 12: 15.2%
Read more
  • Source of cigarettes
  • First Use
  • Long-Term Trend
Usual source of tobacco cigarettes among smokers
2017
(UNDER AGE 19)
Note: the response options 'over the Internet', 'Native Reserve,' and 'Another source not listed' are not shown due to supressed estimates (unreliability).
AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST TOBACCO CIGARETTE, FIRST ALCOHOLIC DRINK, AND FIRST CANNABIS USE
1999-2017
(Grade 12)
LONG-TERM TREND LINES FOR CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL, CANNABIS USE IN PAST YEAR
1977-2017
(Grades 7, 9 & 11)
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Long-Term Trends

1977-2017
(Grades 7, 9 & 11)