Information for parents

The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS) covers topics such as youth tobacco, alcohol and drug use and includes additional topics of interest to schools including bullying, school connectedness and mental health. Over the years, data from the CSTADS have supported positive changes to improve youth health, such as the recent federal ban on flavoured cigarillo products.

CSTADS results help government and public health officials identify areas of concern and emerging trends. The end-goal is to develop new programs and policies that will make a positive difference.

Participating in this project can also help schools create a healthier environment. By using their school-specific School Health Profile and summaries, schools can educate their school community about student smoking and other health behaviours, and create policies and programs to keep students healthy.

More information about this project can be found in the project brochure (pdf).  You can also find more information about Collaborative Projects being implemented alongside CSTADS in your province. 

This survey is an opportunity to talk with your children about tobacco, alcohol and drug use. Please visit the resources section of our website for helpful information about how to start the conversation and ways to keep your kids safe.

The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey questionnaire asks questions about tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use (illicit, prescription, over-the-counter, etc.) in addition to youth bullying, mental health and school connectedness.  The CSTADS questionnaire will also e made available in the school's main office.

Smoking, alcohol and drug use are highly related. In 2006-07, 96% of students in grades 7-9 who had smoked a whole cigarette had also used alcohol or marijuana.  The survey asks about a wide variety of topics that are related to tobacco use, including influences of others, attitudes, alcohol and substance use and other behaviours. Understanding these potential influences can help direct programs and policies to curb tobacco use as well as the other behaviours.

The data collected on experimentation with alcohol and drugs will contribute to the evidence base for decision-making within the framework of Canada’s Drug Strategy.

This project has been reviewed and received ethics clearance from the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo and Health Canada's Research Ethics Board.  School boards and schools are also required to read and approve the questionnaire before agreeing to participate.  As per school board protocols, parents and students are asked to provide permission/consent before participating in the project.

Research tells us that youth in grades 7 to 12 already know about these topic areas. Tobacco and substance use/abuse are part of the school health curriculum from Grade 7 on (Secondaire I in Quebec). We encourage teachers to incorporate the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey experience into discussions on these topics, and to use the School Health Profile as a teaching tool.

More information on school curriculum can be found on your provincial Ministry of Education website.

The permission consent procedures used for projects are guided by the procedures required within school boards and schools.  Students are able to participate in the survey using one of the following permission/consent procedures:

Active Parental Permission Procedure

An information letter and permission form are distributed to students or parents by the project contact at the school.  Parents are asked to complete the permission form online or return a hard copy to their child's classroom teacher in order for their child to participate in the survey. Students can complete the permission form on their own, if they are of age to do so, as determined by the school board/school.

Active Information-Passive Permission Method

An information letter  sent to parents using the method typically used by the school to communicate with parents. Parents use a toll-free number to inform project staff if they do not want their child to participate in the survey. If students are of age to consent to participate in research, as determined by the school board/school, they can choose to participate in the survey on their own.

Student Permission

Students are able to refuse participation in the survey at any time.  If students are of age to consent to participate in research, as determined by the school board/school, they can choose to participate in the survey on their own.  Students who do not participate in the survey are asked to work quietly at their desks while other students complete the survey.

Surveillance surveys have been conducted for decades with the youth/adolescent population and many health professionals argue that the benefits of surveillance far outweigh any potential risks. Youth in grades 7 to 12 (in Québec Secondaire I to V) are already taught about smoking, alcohol and drugs in school as part of the education curriculum.

We have conducted pilot studies which have shown that in general, youth who have never smoked, tend to “jump” to each question, looking for the response option “I do not smoke” without fully reading the question or other response options. The same is true for questions about street drugs. Youth who are aware of drug names learned about them or tried them prior to the survey, not because of the survey.

The list of schools who participate is confidential.  Although schools will receive their individual School Health Profiles with their results, only they have the authority to share those reports.  In the province of Quebec, each School Health Profile for participating Quebec schools is also shared with local health units to help address youth health issues in the schools. 

Individual student results are not reported. All results are reported in group format to maintain confidentiality.

This is also true for individuals. Youth who participate in the survey, do so anonymously and their answers are kept confidential and anonymous. Responses to the questionnaire cannot be linked back to any individual. This is an important priority of our survey procedures.

In cases where researchers believe that a student may need protection from harm, researchers must by law report this information to authorities.

This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee. However, the final decision about participation is yours. If you have any comments or concerns resulting from your participation in this study, please contact the Chief Ethics Officer, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567, ext. 36005 or ore-ceo@uwaterloo.ca or you can contact project staff.

One task of a survey is to provide a clear picture of the behaviours under study, in this case tobacco use, drug and alcohol use. For example, different groups of people (e.g., males, females) may use tobacco, alcohol or drugs at different rates, or require different types of interventions to prevent their smoking. We ask students to indicate their ethnic background (e.g., white, black, aboriginal) to help paint this picture. This information can help schools and governments develop programs to improve the health of at-risk students.