Underage drink, drugs and sex is ‘normal’ for teens
Those are among the disturbing findings of two new reports by UNICEF Ireland examining what it means to be an adolescent in contemporary society where drug-taking remains more widespread than smoking.
Girls emerged more negatively than boys, with a higher percentage drinking, smoking and having sex — although boys outnumbered girls by more than two to one when it came to watching pornography online.
The reports — Changing the Future: Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland — also found:
* Almost half of the respondents who reported being drunk first got drunk before the age of 16. Nine out of 10 first got drunk with friends; the remainder with family.
* Binge drinking appears to peak at age 18 and 31% buy alcohol using a fake ID.
* Reports of depression, self-harming, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts were higher among those who drank.
* More than one-third (35%) reported trying drugs, with 28% of these saying usage was ongoing, grass being the most popular. 15% reported the use of cocaine.
* Of the 63% who said they were sexually active, four in five had penetrative sex. More than 50% had lost their virginity before the age of 18.
* Almost one in five failed to use a condom the first time they had sex.
UNICEF Ireland warned of “the emergence of a dangerous orthodoxy in which drugs and alcohol are accepted as a normal part of adolescence”.
The organisation said young people must be given every opportunity for “open discussion, understanding, support, information and advice” on sex.
More than 500 people aged 16-20 took part in the surveys conducted last year.
