Substance use and impaired driving prevalence among Francophone and Anglophone postsecondary students in Western Canada

Abstract

Introduction Substance use and impaired driving increase risk of motor vehicle crashes and deaths. Individual, socio-economic and -cultural factors are associated with these at-risk behaviors; however, little is known if differences exist between the Anglophone majority and minority Francophone populations in Canada. This article describes prevalence of substance use, impaired driving and driving practices by postsecondary student and compares Francophones and Anglophones with respect to these behaviors. Methods Postsecondary students between 18 and 24 years attending a Francophone university in Western Canada completed a paper-based survey during class-time. Results Prevalence of alcohol consumption, binge drinking and marijuana use in the past month were 88.6%, 64.2% and 22.7% respectively. Francophone participants were more likely to consume more alcohol, participate in drinking games, and consume marijuana during the past month than Anglophones. They were also more likely to report impaired-driving, speeding, distracted driving and being passenger in a motor vehicle driven by an impaired driver. Conclusion Awareness campaigns on campus highlighting the risks of substance use and unsafe driving practices should be strengthened and target Francophone students in linguistic minority communities.

Substance Use, Addiction and Support Services: Increased Risk and Service Inequity for Official Language Minority Communities in Canada

“…Given such biases, heterogeneous reports are expected, and data must be interpreted with caution. For instance, in Manitoba, some reports suggest that addiction rates may be lower among French-speaking OLMC adults (although sometimes only marginally) compared with this province’s English-speaking majority (Chartier 28 ; Chartier et al, 29 ), while broader substance use may be greater among OLMC postsecondary student populations compared with their majority language peers (Gueye et al, 30,31 ). Others report substance-specific differences, with binge drinking being more prevalent among Anglophone (majority) and cannabis use more common among Francophone (OLMC) postsecondary students in this province 32 .…”

“…Others report substance-specific differences, with binge drinking being more prevalent among Anglophone (majority) and cannabis use more common among Francophone (OLMC) postsecondary students in this province 32 . Also, rurality is reported to be a strong predictor of alcohol use for Manitoba’s OLMCs 30,33 . Furthermore, 1 study measured the impact of Canada’s 2018 recreational cannabis legislation on cannabis use among a postsecondary OLMC sample in Manitoba 34 .…”

“…32 Also, rurality is reported to be a strong predictor of alcohol use for Manitoba's OLMCs. 30,33 Furthermore, 1 study measured the impact of Canada's 2018 recreational cannabis legislation on cannabis use among a postsecondary OLMC sample in Manitoba. 34 While this sample's cannabis use was significantly greater than national averages, permissive legislation had a negligible impact for this population.…”

A meta-analysis of drinking game participation and alcohol-related outcomes.

“…Given that DG participation is common in many parts of the world and in light of the health risks associated with participating in this risky drinking activity, researchers in the U.S. (see Zamboanga et al, 2014; Zamboanga, Tomaso, et al, 2016) and other countries (e.g., Australia: Mulligan et al, 2016; Canada: Gueye et al, 2019; New Zealand: Bavin & Owens, 2016; Nigeria: Dumbili & Williams, 2017; United Kingdom: Moss et al, 2015; Netherlands: Hendriks et al, 2017) have paid attention to DG behaviors. Thus far, general alcohol intervention efforts have not been shown to be effective in reducing college attending emerging adults’ participation in DGs (Fernandez et al, 2017) or avoidance of DGs (Zamboanga, Merrill, et al, 2019) in the U.S. As such, there continues to be a need to further researchers’ and practitioners’ knowledge about DG behaviors and the extent to which DG participation is associated with an increased risk for heavy alcohol use and related health consequences among adolescents and emerging adults.…”

“…Among university students in Australia (George & Zamboanga, 2018), 69% reported having played a DG at least once in the past 6 months while approximately 59% of adolescents and young adults in New Zealand indicated that they played DGs at least occasionally (Bavin & Owens, 2016). A study conducted with university students in Canada found that 51% played DGs in the past month most of the time or always (Gueye et al, 2019). Research indicates that those who play DGs report greater general alcohol consumption and are at increased risk for experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences (ARCs; for review, see Zamboanga et al, 2014).…”