Fewer children smoking and getting drunk, but increase in dieting and feeling low

There has been an overall decrease across all substance use measures, with the number of children who said they smoked in 2018 down by 25% on the 1998 figure.

Fewer children are smoking and getting drunk than 20 years ago, but more children are reporting that they are on a diet or that they are feeling low.

That’s according to the latest statistics from the 'Health Behaviour in school-aged Children in Ireland (HBSC) from 1998-2018' report, which is carried out every four years in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

There were 15,557 pupils surveyed, aged 10-17 years, from 255 schools across the country.

It found that more than 33% of children reported feeling low about every week or more frequently over the last six months of 2018. The corresponding figure in 1998 was 23%.

Girls were more likely to report feeling low in 2018, with 41.6% of 10-17-year-old girls reporting they felt that way every week or more frequently over the last six months, compared to 27.2% of their male counterparts.

More than half of the girls (53.3%) in the 15-17 age group reported feeling low every week or more frequently over the last six months, compared to 30% of boys.

There has also been an increase in the proportion of children who reported being on a diet or doing something else to lose weight over the span of the surveys (11.9% in 2002 versus 14.4% in 2018). 

The researchers found there was a negligible increase in the percentage of girls who reported trying to lose weight (17.4% in 2006 versus 17.8% in 2018). However, the percentage of boys trying to lose weight has nearly doubled from just 6.6% in 2006 to 11.2% in 2018.

Substance abuse

There has been an overall decrease across all substance use measures, with the number of children smoking dropping hugely in the 20 years. In 2018, Just 5.3% of children said they smoked, compared to 22.6% in 1998.

Similarly, the number of children who reported that they have ever been drunk fell sharply from 33% in 1998 to 19% in 2018.

Fewer children also reported using cannabis in the previous 12 months, down from 12.3% in 1998 to 8.5% in 2018.

Roderic O’Gorman, the children's minister, said an increased emphasis is needed around supporting the positive mental health of young people. 

Commenting on the report, Roderic O'Gorman, the children's minister, said: “Ireland is headed in the right direction when it comes to the health of young people.”

He said it was clear that past Government initiatives to support healthy choices were having “a positive impact on reducing alcohol consumption and smoking, helping to keep our young people safe". 

However, he said the research also suggested that an increased emphasis was needed around supporting the positive mental health of young people. 

“Following the impact of Covid-19, this is an issue that may become more prevalent,” he added.