Drug Addiction

Why is the current rate of drug addiction so high despite the countless lives lost to it every
year in Canada? Is it more specific towards youth or adults and why do people do it when
they know the harsh consequences of it? Is there a specific item they consume and is age
an influence to it? Drug addiction is a very pressing matter with a lot of questions to fill.
Below are 5 cities that I have used with information and relevant research questions.

Information Source Tracking Sheet

You can use the following template, or one like it, to keep track of your sources using
APA style as you are gathering and starting to organise your information in your
investigation.

The inquiry questions on drug addiction

Sources in APA Jot notes: Questions from the jot
notes:

Fletcher, S. (2019, 1. Why are people

September 3). Young
Addicts: What Is Happening
In Canadian Classrooms?
Canadian Centre for
Addiction. Retrieved July 5,
2023, from
https://canadiancentreforad
dictions.org/addiction-youth-
canadian-classrooms/
I liked to choose this link
because it gave me clear
statistics which benefited
the research.
C - This information was
made on September 3,
2019, it has not been
revised. My topic requires
current information; older
sources won’t work. Yes, all
of the links are functional.
R - Yes the information
relates to my topic, the
intended audience is youth
For Canada so consumed
with using drugs
● 57% reported alcohol use· 8% when people
reported smoking cigarettes know that it’s bad
● 19% reported using cannabis for them?
● 20% reported use of at least one of 2. How bad would
cannabis, cocaine or crack, ecstasy, the economy
speed or methamphetamine, suffer if people
hallucinogens, and heroin decide to quit
● 18% reported using prescription using these
stimulants like Ritalin, Concerta, drugs.
Adderall, or Dexedrine 3. Is alcohol similar
to the properties
For the U.S of nicotine?
Making people
● 66% report having tried alcohol, 40% addicted to
report having been drunk in the past 30 wanting more.
days
● 40% report having smoked a cigarette
● 50% report having tried cannabis, 7.5%
report having done so for the first time
before age 13
● 20% report illegal use of prescription
drugs
● 44% reported knowing a student who
sold marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine or
and adults. Yes, the info is crack, and/or prescription medications
highschool. Yes there is a on school property
variety of sources in that ●
one link. Yes I would be
comfortable citing this
source in your research
paper.

A - Fletcher S is the author,

yes the author is qualified to
do this topic. He is an
addiction counsellor. The
Url is .ca.

A - It is primary information
written by the author. Yes
there is statistics to back
this up. Yes, the other 4
sites also have similar
information. There are very
few or minimal errors in the
website. Though I
personally didn't spot any
errors.

P - The purpose of the

information is to inform the
public and persuade them
to give up drugs. The author
makes his intention clear
and it's backed up by his
profession. The information
is a max of opinion and
facts.

CRAAP LINK

Substance use and
addiction. (n.d.). CMHA
Ontario. Retrieved July 5,
2023, from
https://ontario.cmha.ca/addi
ction-and-substance-use-an
d-addiction/
A simple way of understanding and describing
addiction is to use the 4C’s approach:
● Craving
● Loss of control of amount or
frequency of use
● Compulsion to use
Is there any way to
prevent addiction by
changing the materials
the product is made of or
having self-control etc.

I did not find this site

beneficial, as the most it
provided was some
symptoms for people who
have drug addiction.
About Us – Drug Free Kids
Canada. (n.d.). Drug Free
Kids Canada. Retrieved
July 5, 2023, from
https://www.drugfreekidscan
ada.org/about-us/
This link was very beneficial
because the data provided
to this was given in canada.
So this is like hometown
data rather than global data.
● Continued substance use despite
consequences iii
What is the main reason
Since the pandemic, we are seeing for so many young
problematic substance use converging with people to consume
mental health challenges at a much greater alcohol?
scale. Youth have always been vulnerable to
these issues, but they are more so now. How much of a key role
does depression play in
students?
● Last year, only 1 in 4 youth reported
excellent or very good mental health Have the pandemic
and close to half don’t anticipate a influenced students in
bright future.2 any sort of way.
● 45% of young people reported
moderate to severe anxiety symptoms
while 24% reported moderately severe
to severe depression.
● Young people ages 16 to 24 years
living in Canada are more likely to
report mental health and substance
use concerns than any other age group
in the general population.3
Empowering parents to take action to protect
their kids is important because:
● Average age of experimentation is:
alcohol = 13.4 years old; cannabis = 14
years old
● 60% of illicit drug users are between 15
and 24 years old. 4
● 36% of teenagers have been offered
drugs at a party, and nearly half don’t
really know how to refuse them. 5
The following substances were used by
students in grades 7-12 across Canada: 6
● Alcohol: 44% – 880,000 students

Canadian Alcohol and
Drugs Survey (CADS):
summary of results for
2019. (n.d.). Canada.ca.
Retrieved July 5, 2023, from
https://www.canada.ca/en/h
ealth-canada/services/cana
dian-alcohol-drugs-survey/2
019-summary.html
This link is very useful to
me because it provides
accurate data on the exact
number of people and age
types which are suffering
from the consequences of
drug - addiction.
● Cannabis: 18% – 374,000 students
● E-cigarettes: 20% – 418,000 students *
● 7% used sedatives/tranquillisers,
stimulants, and prescription pain
relievers
● There was a 3% rise in non-medical
use of stimulants like ADHD drugs
● Opioids: 13% of Ontario high school
students reported the non-medical use
of prescription opioid painkillers.
“The overall prevalence of psychoactive What is the reason that
pharmaceutical use among Canadians aged there is a high amount of
15 years and older was 23% (7 million), people who are hooked
unchanged from 2017 (22% or 6.5 million). to drug addiction?
The prevalence of past-year psychoactive
pharmaceutical use in 2019 was higher among Is there any ethical way
females (27% or 4.1 million) than males (19% to reduce the amount of
or 2.8 million). The prevalence of use was drugs that people
lower among youth aged 15 to 19 (15% or consume.
315,000) than among young adults aged 20 to
24 (27% or 607,000) and adults aged 25 years
and older (23% or 6 million). The prevalence of
psychoactive pharmaceutical use for males
and females was unchanged from 2017 (20%
or 2.9 million males and 24% or 3.6 million
females). The prevalence of use for each age
category was unchanged from 2017: 17%
(332,000) of youth aged 15 to 19; 21%
(492,000) of young adults aged 20 to 24; and
23% (5.7 million) of adults aged 25 and older.
Table 8 presents past-year psychoactive
pharmaceutical use among Canadians since
2008.”
Alcohol. (n.d.). CAMH.
Retrieved July 5, 2023, from
https://www.camh.ca/en/hea
lth-info/mental-illness-and-a
ddiction-index/alcohol
The way alcohol affects you depends on many Does the brain play any
factors, including: your age, sex and body role in our use of drugs?
weight how sensitive you are to alcohol the Does it help in
type and amount of food in your stomach how withdrawal or does it
much and how often you drink how long you've increase difficulty
been drinking the environment you're in how because as they say “old
you expect the alcohol to make you feel habits die hard”??
whether you've taken any other drugs (illegal,
prescription, over-the-counter or herbal).