Schools across Canada struggling to manage student substance use
Posted February 25, 2025 4:00 pm.
A new survey finds that school principals nationwide are dedicating more time to managing student substance use, with the problem exacerbated by a lack of available resources.
Dr. Emily Jenkins, is an associate professor at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, and lead researcher behind the study.
“Right now, there’s a lack of a coordinated and evidence aligned strategy that informs what schools do related to substance use, and so it’s often left to individual schools or school administrators to determine how to best approach this in their settings,” said Jenkins.
She says many school policies still focus on zero-tolerance or abstinence, often leading to punitive measures like expulsion.
“We know that those approaches are not effective and that they can lead to significant harms, including disengagement among students from schools and longer term outcomes that cause harm.”
The survey, which included responses from 204 school principals, found vaping to be the most prevalent substance-related issue, followed by cannabis, tobacco, and energy drinks.
“The landscape of youth substance use is changing, there’s a lot of marketing towards young people, products specifically focused and directed towards their youth. And, so we saw that in the results of our survey, vaping, for example, has become a significant challenge, with 64 per cent of principals identifying it as a top concern,” Jenkins explained.
Principals also noted that existing prevention programs, such as DARE and MADD, are outdated and don’t align with the latest research on harm reduction.
Jenkins is calling for a national, evidence-based framework to guide schools in addressing substance use. She emphasizes that a more comprehensive and coordinated approach is needed — one that combines prevention, support, and early intervention, while also offering schools practical tools to better manage the issue.
“Schools are working really hard to respond to these issues, but are in need of practical solutions to address these challenges while keeping students engaged in learning.”
