Substance use by indigenous and non-indigenous primary school students.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Child Development
• Substance Use Research

Background:

• Adolescent studies indicate higher tobacco and cannabis use among Indigenous youth compared to non-Indigenous peers.
• Previous research suggests lower alcohol consumption in Indigenous adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if substance use patterns observed in adolescents extend to younger children.
• To compare tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol experimentation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous primary school students.

Main Methods:

• A school-based, self-report survey was administered to 507 primary school students (aged 9-13 years).
• Schools with high proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were selected in Brisbane and Far North Queensland.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between Indigenous background and the risk of smoking tobacco or marijuana.
• Indigenous children were less likely than non-Indigenous children to report alcohol experimentation.
• Experimentation rates included 22% attempting to smoke, 14% smoking in the past year, 6% smoking marijuana, and 38% consuming alcohol.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to adolescent data, Indigenous primary schoolers did not exhibit higher rates of tobacco or marijuana experimentation.
• The transition to increased substance use among Indigenous youth appears to occur in early secondary school.
• Preventive education in primary schools is crucial, particularly for Indigenous children at high risk of adolescent drug use.