Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS)

The fact that no national survey of Canadians' use of alcohol, cannabis and other drug use had been conducted in the 10 years prior to the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS) made this project an essential research priority. The CAS was sponsored by CCSA, Health Canada, the Canadian Executive Council on Addictions (CECA), the Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CAR-BC) and the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia.

The CAS is one of the most detailed and extensive surveys ever conducted on how Canadians aged 15 years and older use alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, and the impact that use has on their physical, mental and social well-being. This information, when compared with past studies, indicates trends in drug use and harms associated with use.

Key Findings

Alcohol use

Nearly 80% of Canadians aged 15 years and older drink, but most drink in moderation and without harm.
17% of past-year drinkers are considered high-risk drinkers according to the World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
High-risk drinkers are predominantly males and those under the age of 25.

Cannabis and other drug use

14% of Canadians reported using cannabis in the past year, nearly double the rate reported in 1994 (7.4%); however, almost 46% of these people had not used cannabis or had used it only once or twice in the three months preceding the survey.
30% of 15-17 year olds and just over 47% of 18-19 year olds reported having used cannabis in the past year.
Although about 1 in 6 Canadians has used an illicit drug other than cannabis in their lifetime, few have used these drugs during the past year. Past-year rates are generally 1% or less.
Both lifetime and past-year use of illicit substances other than cannabis is highest among men and those aged 18–24.

CAS Errata (August 2007)
The 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS), published as CAS Highlights (November, 2004), CAS Detailed Report (March, 2005), and CAS Microdata eGuide (June, 2005), included a brief six-item screener to measure problematic drug use. The screener, the ASSIST, was developed by the World Health Organization.

An error was recently found in one symptom (represented by two items: CNAS5 and ASSIS5) of the ASSIST scale. Properly stated, the question is "Have you ever tried [AND FAILED] to control, cut down or stop using cannabis, marijuana or hashish {or other drugs}. The phrase "and failed" was not asked of respondents. This error, in turn, affects the following derived variables: ASISTCAN, ASISTCN3, ASISTCN2, ASISTIL and ASISTIL3.

NOTE: A small study to assess the impact of the missing "and failed" phrase suggested that estimates with the missing phrase underestimate the standard ASSIST item, but total scores and their cutoffs do not differ significantly between the two versions. This error should not affect estimates of subgroup differences (i.e., sex, age and regional differences). Caution and warning should be used in making direct comparisons with other studies using the ASSIST. For reference to specific places in each of the three documents that were affected by the error, please go to Errata: CAS Highlights, Errata: CAS Detailed Report, and Errata: CAS Microdata eGuide.