THL: Emerging issues with substance use among young people

healthy The Swedish Welfare Institute (THL) says drinking among young people has fallen.

The information comes from a survey of ninth graders conducted every four years. The last survey was conducted in 2019.

35% of young people surveyed have never drunk alcohol. In 1995, the corresponding figure was 10%.

Binge drinking decreased before 2015, but increased after 2019. In 2024, 9% of boys and 6% of girls drank at least six servings a week.

More and more young people are trying electronic cigarettes, or vapes. picture: Ivan Besedin

smokes The percentage has dropped among young people in the 21st century. In 2011, about 20 percent of young people smoked daily. This year, about 6 percent of ninth-grade boys and about 4 percent of girls smoke daily.

About 40% of young people have tried e-cigarettes, compared with 34% in 2019. The survey showed that 9% of boys and 13% of girls use e-cigarettes every day.

read more: KS: Worrying information about the youngest e-cigarette users

According to THL, a new challenge for substance use among youth are nicotine pouches. They have become increasingly popular among minors after sales restrictions were lifted in 2023. This year, 31% of boys and 17% of girls said they had used nicotine pouches at some point. 11% of boys and 3% of girls said they used nicotine pouches daily.

Snuff experimentation decreased compared to 2019. 26% of boys and 13% of girls had ever used snuff. About 7% of boys and about 3% of girls used snuff daily.

boys According to the survey, marijuana use has decreased slightly. In 2019, 13% of boys and 9% of girls said they had tried marijuana. This year, the corresponding figures are 11% for boys and 9% for girls.

Use of other illegal drugs remains low, according to the survey results. In 2019, three percent of young people reported having tried drugs other than marijuana. This year, the corresponding figure is four percent.