The Horizon Health Network is collaborating with Icelandic organization Planet Youth to battle substance abuse.
Saint John was one of four New Brunswick locations selected to pilot the Planet Youth Guidance Program, which applies the Icelandic Prevention Model – an evidence- and community-based process which has been proven to lower substance use among youth in Iceland and has since been adapted in more than 16 countries.
This prevention model focuses on building a positive environment around youth to mitigate risk factors, such as social isolation or stress, and strengthen protective factors by fostering access to family, school and extra-curricular activities, for example, which promote well-being.
The launch of Planet Youth in Saint John was celebrated on Thursday at the local Boys and Girls Club with the introduction of a new community action team, which brings together public and mental health workers, community intervention professionals, as well as partners from the school community, police, and the business community.
“We recognize that the wellbeing of young people is fundamental to the overall health of our communities, and we are thrilled to bring Planet Youth to the Saint John area,” said Dr. Kimberley Barker, regional medical officer of health.
A survey of 709 students in Grade 10 (ages 15 and 16) was conducted in five Saint John area schools, as well as the Saint John Learning Exchange, to evaluate their wellbeing and lifestyle habits.
The following key observations were made as a result of this survey:
- 34 per cent of girls surveyed said that their mental health was good or very good
- 31 per cent of youth surveyed tried alcohol at the age of 13 or younger
- 61 per cent of youth respondents get less than eight hours of sleep per night
- 60 per cent of girls surveyed spend an average of three hours or more per day on social media
- 64 per cent of youth surveyed responded feeling safe at school
In 2017, costs attributable to substance use in New Brunswick totalled more than $1 billion in the health care, social and justice systems, according to the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Working Group.
