The World Health Organization's report for the European Region on the findings of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international survey reveals a concerning situation regarding the use of psychoactive substances among adolescents in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.
More than half of 15-year-olds have drunk alcohol and one in five young people currently use electronic cigarettes. New HBSC survey data highlights the narrowing of the gap in psychoactive substance use between boys and girls and underlines the need for targeted prevention interventions.
The key findings of the international survey are the following:
Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive substance among adolescents. More than half (57%) of 15-year-olds have drunk alcohol at least once in their lifetime (56% of boys and 59% of girls), and about 1 in 10 (9%) adolescents in all age groups have been drunk before. The percentage of people who have been drunk at least twice in their lifetime rises sharply with age, from 5% at age 13 to 20% at age 15, indicating a growing trend of alcohol abuse among young people.
15-year-old adolescents from Slovenia exceed the average of their peers from other countries covered by the HBSC survey on indicators of drinking and drunkenness. These data highlight the high availability of alcohol and the normalisation of drinking, and the need for better policies to protect children and adolescents from alcohol-related harm and consequences.
The use of electronic cigarettes is becoming increasingly popular among young people. According to the HBSC survey, around a third (32%) of 15-year-olds have used e-cigarettes at least once in their lifetime, and 20% in the last 30 days. A comparison with data on cigarette smoking shows that 25% of 15-year-olds have smoked cigarettes at some point in their lifetime and 15% of adolescents have smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days. Higher rates of e-cigarette use compared to traditional cigarette smoking are already evident at the age of 13: 11% of 13-year-olds report having smoked a cigarette in their lifetime, compared to 16% of those who have used an e-cigarette at some point in their lifetime.
Cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among 15-year-olds in Slovenia is below the average of their peers in other countries surveyed by the HBSC, but data for Slovenia also show that e-cigarette use among 13- and 15-year-olds has surpassed that of traditional cigarettes.
More than 1 in 10 (12%) 15-year-olds report having used cannabis in their lifetime, a lower percentage than in 2018 (14%). 6% of 15-year-olds report having used cannabis in the last 30 days.
15-year-olds in Slovenia use cannabis at a higher rate than the average of their peers in other countries covered by the HBSC survey, while Slovenia has also seen a decrease in the percentage of lifetime cannabis use in this age group.
The use of psychoactive substances has historically been more prevalent among boys than girls, but this is changing. At the age of 15, girls are catching up with, and in some cases even surpassing, boys. For cigarette smoking, the difference in use between boys and girls is present at age 11, and at age 15 there is no longer a gender difference. However, for electronic cigarette use and alcohol consumption, 15-year-old girls even outperform boys of the same age.
In Slovenia, gender differences in the use of psychoactive substances are also decreasing; there are no significant differences between boys and girls in cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, alcohol consumption, drunkenness and cannabis use at the age of 15.
It is crucial to understand that the negative impact of psychoactive substances does not only harm young users, but also affects the wider youth community. Every child and young person deserves the opportunity to develop successfully in an environment that is safe and supportive and that protects them from the risks associated with alcohol, nicotine, tobacco and cannabis use.
To reduce and prevent alcohol, nicotine and tobacco use among young people, it is essential to implement comprehensive measures as defined in various international treaties and WHO recommendations. These include the following: increasing excise duties, restricting the availability of nicotine, tobacco and alcohol products, banning all flavourings in all nicotine and tobacco products, and implementing a comprehensive ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship on traditional and social media.
“A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe, central Asia and Canada” report is based on data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey 2021/2022, which monitors the health-related behaviours and social environment of almost 280,000 boys and girls. The results underline the need to strengthen comprehensive prevention measures.
A report on peer violence and maltreatment among adolescents in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, based on the same research, has also recently been published and is available at the following link.
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