Effects of School Experiences on Substance Use Among Canadian Children: The Power of the Circle of Friends

We used the Canadian data from the Cross-National Survey on Health Behaviors in School-Aged Children (HBSC) to examine the effects of school experiences on substance use among Canadian students, with seven measures on use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Multilevel data analyses with students nested within schools indicated an obvious increasing trend of substance use in each and every measure across grade levels (Grades 6 to 10). Students with low perception of their academic status and students from single-parent households were most likely to use alcohol and tobacco. Female students were more likely to use tobacco than male students. In comparison to student characteristics, substance use was much more strongly related to school experiences. Characteristics of schools in which students' substance use was minor can be described as (a) positive circle of friends, (b) positive sense of belonging to school, and (c) positive parental support. The circle of friends was the most important school-level variable that affected students' substance use across grade levels (Grades 6 to 10). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.