Use of Alcohol and E-Cigarettes Among Youth ‘Alarming’

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

The widespread use of alcohol and e-cigarettes among adolescents is “alarming”, according to a report released by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European branch, which recommended measures to limit access.

Based on survey data from 280,000 young people aged 11, 13 and 15 in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, the WHO said it showed a “concerning picture” of substance use among young people.

“The long-term consequences of these trends are significant, and policy-makers cannot afford to ignore these alarming findings,” the health body said.

The report found that 57 percent of 15-year-olds had drunk alcohol at least once, for girls the figure was 59 percent, compared to 56 percent of boys.

The WHO noted that overall drinking had decreased for boys, while it had increased for girls.

When it came to current use—defined as having drunk at least once in the last 30 days—eight percent of 11-year-old boys reported having done so, compared to five percent of girls.

But by age 15, girls had overtaken boys, with 38 percent of girls saying they had drunk at least once in the last 30 days, while only 36 percent of boys had.

The report also highlighted the increased use of e-cigarettes—often called vapes—among teenagers.

While smoking is declining, with 13 percent of 11-15 year-olds having smoked in 2022, two percentage points less than four years earlier, the report noted that many of them have instead adopted e-cigarettes—which have overtaken cigarettes among adolescents.

Around 32 percent of 15-year-olds have used an e-cigarette, and 20 percent reported having used one in the last 30 days.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-alcohol-cigarettes-youth-alarming.html