Anybody who knows Scottish youth culture can’t pretend they are that surprised about this……
The BBC reports
Fifteen-year-old boys in Scotland have the highest rate for smoking cannabis according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The study found that nearly a quarter (23%) of boys aged 15 in Scotland surveyed said they had tried the Class B drug at some point.
In one of the largest studies of its kind the WHO examined data from 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries around the world.
The survey also suggested that the UK has more of an issue with under-age vaping than many other countries.
The survey asked children living in Europe, Central Asia and Canada about their use of cigarettes, vapes, alcohol and cannabis.
It found that children in Scotland and Wales are more likely to have smoked cannabis than those in many other countries.
Both countries are in the top five globally.
From the Scottish sample, which involved 4,000 teenagers, 23% of 15-year-old boys said they had smoked cannabis within their lifetime, while 16% of girls the same age said the same.
Canadian girls ranked highest with 25% saying they had smoked the drug.
Just 13% of boys and 6% of girls in Scotland said they had used cannabis, also known as weed, in the last 30 days.
Read more
A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe, central Asia and Canada. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey. Volume 3
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Abstract
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a large school-based survey carried out every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. HBSC data are used at national/regional and international levels to gain new insights into adolescent health and well-being, understand the social determinants of health and inform policy and practice to improve young people’s lives. The 2021/2022 HBSC survey data are accompanied by a series of volumes that summarize the key findings around specific health topics. This report, Volume 3 in the series, focuses on adolescent substance use, using the unique HBSC evidence on adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 years across 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada. It describes the status of adolescent substance use (cigarette smoking, electronic cigarette use, alcohol consumption, drunkenness and cannabis use), the role of gender, age and social inequality, and how adolescent substance use has changed over time. Findings from the 2021/2022 HBSC survey provide an important evidence benchmark for current research, intervention and policy-planning.
Citation
Description
vii, 42 p.
ISBN
978-92-890-6093-6 (PDF)
Language
English
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