6.2.4 Percentage of Canadian youth in Grade 10 who reported drinking liquor at least once a week, Canada, 1990 to 2014
Source: CICH graphic created using data adapted from Freeman JG, King M and Pickett W. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) in Canada: Focus on Relationships. 2016.
Girls are more likely to drink liquor at least once a week than to drink beer.1
In 2014, 6% of girls drank liquor at least once a week as did 9% of boys.
The proportion of girls and boys who drank liquor at least once a week declined for both girls and boys between 1990 and 2014.
1Freeman JG, King M and Pickett W. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) in Canada: Focus on Relationships. 2016.
Implications
When young people drink frequently, they are more likely to have conflict with their families, their peers and with the law.1,2 Drinking and driving contributes to motor vehicle crashes – which are a are a leading cause of death among young people. The evidence shows that drinking and driving is involved in more than half of those fatal injury events.3
1Smith, A., Stewart, D., Poon, C., Peled, M., Saewyc, E., & McCreary Centre Society (2014). From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii: Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey. Vancouver, BC: McCreary Centre Society.
2Paglia-Boak, A., & Adlaf., E. (2007). Substance use and harm in the general youth population. In Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
3MADD Canada. (2015). Overview—Youth and impaired driving. http://www.madd.ca/madd2/en/impaired_driving/impaired_driving_youth.html