Young women aged 12 to 17 are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse by a family member or date. Young women aged 18 to 24 are most likely of all age groups to report being assaulted by an intimate partner. The 1997 rate, however, was still more than double that of a decade ago. Risk Taking by Young People Increased risk taking among young people may be a reflection of reduced opportunities and increased pressures to succeed. Unintentional injuries, most often due to motor vehicle collisions, are the leading cause of death and disability among young people.
Teenagers are the only age group in which smoking levels continue to increase.
Young women aged 12 to 17 are more likely than young men the same age to smoke. Many of them report that they smoke to manage stress and control their weight. Underage drinking and the combined use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis increased dramatically between 1991 and 1998 in several provinces. A comprehensive plan to invest in Canada's young people needs to pay attention to how gender, culture and membership in various population groups affect the opportunities available to young people. Young people themselves must be involved in identifying both problems and solutions, and in providing input to policy and program decisions related to their well-being.