Survey shows 41% of teens have already tried booze
(CNS): The top three drugs of choice among students in the Cayman Islands continue to be alcohol, e-cigarettes and marijuana. According to preliminary results released by the National Drug Council from its 2022 Student Drug Use Survey, 41% of teenagers have tried alcohol at least once, 29% have smoked an e-cigarette and 14% of students admitted having used ganja. The NDC said in a press release that the results are in line with regional and global data, as alcohol is the most common drug used by teenagers.
The NDC has not said when the entire survey will be released or why it is releasing the data piecemeal. CNS has contacted the Ministry of Health, which released the limited information and we are awaiting a response. NDC Acting Director Brenda Watson said the preliminary results were just a snapshot of the overall data findings.
The biennial survey was conducted in schools online in a modular format on both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and 3,608 students aged 13-18 took part.
The NDC said the rise in e-cigarette use among young people is a global concern, and this local survey showed that by the age of 13, young people in Cayman are three times more likely to have tried an e-cigarette or vape than a traditional cigarette. Although figures were not given for how many students are regularly smoking e-cigarettes, the results showed a slight increase in the proportion of current use among students, according to the press release from the NDC.
“It is imperative that the risks surrounding e-cigarette and vaping devices continue to be discussed among young people, as well as parents and the community at large,” said NDC Prevention Specialist Simon Miller. “Research from UC Davis and Stanford University shows us that every big tobacco company owns at least one e-cigarette or vape company, even though the message is that e-cigarettes are somehow ‘disrupting regular smoking’. We must take the lessons that we learned from the anti-smoking efforts of the 80s and 90s and apply them now, before we allow history to repeat itself with e-cigarettes,” he warned.
In other data that has been released, officials pointed to the positive outcome that most students in Years 7 through 13 have not used any drugs, and students’ perception of the harms and risks surrounding substance use is relatively high. Around two-thirds of students were aware that smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day was harmful, while 49% felt the same about daily alcohol consumption and almost half also believed that regularly smoking marijuana is also harmful.
What was said to be a great majority of students, though no number was specified, had reported that their friends would not approve of them using drugs, which the NDC said was “a critical protective factor in delaying the onset of youth substance use”.
The NDC said the number of students who said they had used ganja in the previous 30 days had declined steadily since the 2018 survey, though the numbers were not revealed. However, officials did reveal that while students’ perception towards the risks associated with regular marijuana use is high, their attitude towards occasional use still varies greatly, with 25% believing there is no risk from trying marijuana once or twice.
A common theme from the 2022 data was that students want to know more about substances, with 62% of all students who took part indicating that they would like more drug education in their schools, specifically in relation to substances such as e-cigarettes/vapes, alcohol and marijuana.
“The work of the NDC is crucial, not only because of its long-standing data-driven approach but also because they actively seek feedback from the very population which they serve,” Health Minister Sabrina Turner said. “It is important to understand not only the behaviours and attitudes of our youth towards alcohol and other drugs but also their knowledge gaps and willingness to learn more on these important subjects.”
The minister said the government’s approach to health and wellness is to gather data about all the populations it serves so that programmes and services remain relevant. “And, of course, we must act on what we find where we can and advocate for such action from relevant agencies for that which falls outside of our remit,” she added.
CNS will publish all of the data as soon as the ministry releases the full results.
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Category: Health
So what will happen to these numbers when we decriminalize weed? Will teens then Perceive the drug as harmless and indulge ? Will they have more access to weed ? It will only be a matter of asking your neighbour for a joint or raising mummy or daddy’s stash! More adults will use it if there is less of a stigma and no legal consequences and we should consider what if any effect this will have on the young and impressionable teens.
Currently, any teen can go buy a 5 dolla portion of weed off of someone they know, so that’s a dumb argument from the jump.
Secondly, putting it behind a regulated counter has shown to decrease teen use where it’s legal. It’s only lucrative to smuggle because of the illegality.
I tried boose when i was15 its no big deal, i don’t drink now at all. Haven’t for 15 yrs id say, social yes i guess 1 beer but don’t panic Cayman
No surprise here when we have those living here and now arriving here who see drugs and alcohol as a right of passage for adolescents to pass to adulthood as the norm and to top that off taking away those young people opportunities who seek and want to work to earn a living cannot do so because of sellout politicians and government officials who are benefiting financial and politically from the importation of foreign Labour. What else can they do after attending university overseas earning qualifications to come back here to find they have been displace by govt job lifers and foreign nationals claiming cayman citizenship and rights over them. Yet some of our own and foreign interlopers even have the nerve to push this narrative about Caymanians lazy. Anywhere else they would prioritize their own people and send the economic opportunist back home to give their own people those opportunities no matter how unpopular it is . Positive side better Alcohol and drugs and crime rather than fermented social unrest and upheaval.
Do you default to base racism on every topic or just this one?
If you have to make anyone (Those living here and now arriving)look bad just to make yourself look good than you have already lost the battle. No one needs to push any narrative about Caymanians and how they look to the world. You are what you are and you do what you do just like everyone else and no one is perfect. The young will follow their parents lead and it should come as no surprise and there is no need to defend it. You want better for your kids then do something about it.
What are you on about? Imagine this is similar to global averages and from h experience of 20 years in cayman as an expat, caymanian teens are more work shy and more drug and alcohol dependent than most western countries. Cayman spends more per capita than any world country on education to age 16 and had the worst results after that expenditure.
That narrative about the work ethic needs no pushing.
so whats up with the other 59%????
They’d rather give their money to some scam artist pastor.
Those are rookie numbers, we gotta bump them up.
This is a very interesting podcast on low, moderate, and excessive alcohol use.
Andrew D. Huberman is an American neuroscientist and tenured associate professor in the department of neurobiology and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine who has made contributions to the brain development, brain plasticity, and neural regeneration and repair fields.
In this episode, I discuss the physiological effects that drinking alcohol has on the brain and body at different levels of consumption and over time. I also describe genetic differences that predispose certain individuals to alcoholism, binge and habit-drinking. I explain alcohol metabolism in simple terms and how it effectively acts as a poison, leading to cellular stress and damage. I then explain that it impacts neuronal function and changes our thinking and behavior – hallmarks of inebriation. I also discuss how alcohol consumption of different amounts impacts inflammation, stress, neurodegeneration, and cancer risk and negatively impacts the gut microbiome, brain thickness, hormone balance, mood and feelings of motivation. Additionally, I discuss the biology of hangovers and describe science-based strategies to mitigate the severity of a hangover. Since alcohol is one of the most widely consumed recreational substances, this episode ought to be of relevance to everyone. Indeed, even low-to-moderate alcohol consumption negatively impacts the brain and body in direct ways. The goal of this episode is to help people make informed decisions about their alcohol consumption that are in keeping with their mental and physical health goals.
https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/
Yet the NDC doesn’t give a toss about doctors who prescribe Zany and strong painkillers like jelly beans. Ever wonder why some parents are so out of it on both alcohol and ‘legal’ drugs that they are completely oblivious to their kids are into.
Drug education in school is a good start but completely useless if kids don’t have good role models, parents, mentors or any semblance of a family whatsoever.
very good point. the over prescription and availability of percs and xanies is massive here but its currently hidden problem. give it a couple of years and there will be an opiod issue coming into view no one was ready for or, more likely, was simply ignored by those who could make a difference.
As a community of ADULTS, we need to start “saying something” when these teens are served in public bars. Why don’t we have Liquor License Enforcement?
Why ask why? No rules, bobo.
Pass the rum.
There ARE rules, however I believe that the Liquor Law Enforcement arm is poorly named.
A friend of mine and his wife are into wine in a big way. Since their daughter was in her mid-teens, she has been allowed to enjoy a small amount of wine with dinner. It was always good wine – none of the cheap plonk teenagers drink just to get drunk. When she went off to uni, she didn’t start drinking to get drunk, but instead enjoyed it the same way it was introduced to her: responsibly. I wish my parents would have offered me the same opportunity- it would have saved me from a lot of the stupid stuff I did during my first two years of uni, when my education was secondary to what my mates and I thought was fun and adult-like. If you as a parent drink alcohol, telling kids they shouldn’t do what you or other adults do doesn’t work. It’s a much better strategy to show them how to do it responsibly and set a good example that way.
For her I hope she does not become a statistic. May not be a problem now but it could be later in life.
Young people who start drinking before age 15 are significantly more likely to develop alcohol use disorders as adults than those who wait until after age 18, but researchers are not sure if early-onset drinking is a marker for higher risk or a direct risk factor.
Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) examined data from a three-year study of 22,316 drinkers who are now 18 years or older. They looked at the associations between the first incidence of alcohol dependence or abuse and three age-of-first-drink groups—younger than 15, between 15 and 17, and 18 years or older.
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/early-drinking-linked-higher-lifetime-alcoholism-risk
2:41 Great point. I know his is common place in many European countries. I feel like many teens when they become of age or before they are legal consume alcohol because it’s a taboo. They have been let loose and have no tolerance or experience of the affects and go at it like a bull at a gate. As you say introducing a small glass of wine to teenagers at home supervised by parents might give them an understanding of alcohol and its effects in a safe environment.
yawn…been hearing that story for 40 years.
its all about addition tendencies and general mental well being. alchol can be abused or enjoyed by anybody
Just like other drugs, eh?
Just like sugar. The most used and excepted drug that claims the most lives over all.
when I grew up we kept the alcohol in the same cupboard as the cereal. bottom shelf was the rums, whiskey, and schnapps. the top shelf was rice krispies corn flakes and raisin bran. it was always present so when I was of age it wasn’t a rebellious thing to do. we would actually use the whiskey growing up for when you get sore throat. take 2 shots of whiskey and go to bed.
Thank you to NDC for the high quality of its work and its commitment to battle substance abuse in the Cayman Islands. NDC has highly competent statisticians and prevention educators on staff. There are no knee-jerk responses, as politics doesn’t play a role in their daily operations identifying problems.
You give us the information, and it’s up to us to use it to make informed decisions about the substance abuse issues on our three islands.
Downgrading any of NDC’s work reflects an attitude of just wanting to grumble instead of getting involved to become part of the solutions we need to implement.
Again, thank you, NDC.
Teenagers experimenting with alcohol isnt new, it wasn’t breaking news in the 70s or the 80s or even the 90s and its not going to be breaking news today or any other day. There is nothing that can really be done about this if you think about it; all that you can do is teach your teen to be open with you so that you can talk and of course teach about the effects of these things. It’s going to happen; we are in a world/society where alcohol is used for everything from celebration to casual happy hour to wine at dinner and of course praised on movies and music blah blah, it’s not going to change.
Companies pushed cigarettes in the past just as e-cigs are being advertised and pushed today. There is no difference; just a new look and device rebrand. It wasnt stopped then it wont be stopped for everyone now either unfortunately.
A big difference from being a kid in the 80s and 90s is if you got drunk and then did something silly it would be a story. Now with all kids having smartphones your drunkenness will likely be on video and could go viral online. That would have to be a sizable deterrent.
Alcohol, weed and cigarettes isn’t anything new. If this generation survey said crystal meth, molly and heroine then Cayman would have a real crisis.
Does the NDC realise that 18 year olds are legally allowed to drink? How many teens doing cocaine? Driving around without a license, insurance, and/or drunk or high? How many ditch school, or regularly don’t come home on school nights?
Correction*** Study shows that only 41% of teens are being honest!
The same people that maintained that “donkey weed” was once the drug of choice even though no-one seemed to know what it was.
How credible are these results?
Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee-haw!