Underage drink, drugs and sex is ‘normal’ for teens

TEENAGERS are growing up in a culture where drink and drugs are the norm, where one in five has lost their virginity before the age of 16 and where viewing pornography on the internet is commonplace.

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.