In the UK, girls are more likely than boys to drink, smoke, and vape, according to a significant new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The WHO looked at data from 280,000 kids from 44 countries, ages 11, 13, and 15, who were questioned about their use of alcohol, cigarettes, and vape pens in one of the biggest studies of its type.
According to the study, girls in the UK were more likely than boys to drink, smoke, and vape. Vaping has also displaced smoking as the riskiest pastime for young people.
Additionally, it was shown that by the age of 15, two-fifths of females in England and Scotland had vaped, a percentage higher than in a number of other industrialised nations, such as France, Austria, Germany, Albania, Spain, Canada, and Norway.
Girls in the UK are more likely than the average for all 44 countries in the survey to have used a vape by the age of 15, suggesting that the UK may have a more pervasive problem with underage vaping than other nations.
One explanation for why girls were drinking, smoking, and vaping more than boys, according to research coauthor Professor Sally Kendall of the University of Kent, could be a shift in society towards girl power and a reduction in the prevalence of stereotyped gender behaviours like alcohol consumption.
According to our statistics, girls are not only more likely than boys to smoke, drink, or vape, but they also report feeling less satisfied with their lives, more alone, and less well-being overall.
Girls from poorer homes are likewise likely to respond more negatively, as our broader research also shows that these characteristics are linked to low family affluence.
In addition, the poll found that, out of all the children surveyed worldwide, English children between the ages of 11 and 13 had the highest likelihood of having ever consumed alcohol. The UK had high rates of intoxication when compared to other European nations, especially among girls.
England tops the global chart at age 11, with 34% of girls and 35% of boys reporting they have consumed alcohol.
Furthermore, in England, 55% of girls and 56% of boys from higher-income households report having consumed alcohol. 50 percent of girls and 39 percent of boys live in lower-class households.
In contrast to youngsters in many other nations, children in Scotland and Wales are more likely to have ever smoked cannabis. Both nations rank among the top five in the world.
Over 4,000 children in England, about 4,000 in Scotland, and students attending Welsh schools were among the children surveyed, which included children residing in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.
A few of the UK data, according to Dr. Jo Inchley, the University of Glasgow’s international coordinator for the research Health Behaviour In School-Aged Children, are cause for concern.
The UK has a higher vaping rate than the average of all the participating nations in the poll.
That’s a little alarming, I suppose, and we have seen some noticeable rises in vaping in Scotland over the past four years—since 2018, the country’s lifetime e-cigarette use has more than doubled.
Thus, two topics warrant attention. First, our levels are greater than those found in other parts of Europe; second, the patterns appear to be getting worse in the UK over a comparatively short period of time.
According to Dr. Inchley, vapes’ accessibility and affordability could be contributing factors to the rise in their use.
Schools are saying that dealing with the widespread availability of disposable vapes is a significant challenge they face on a daily basis. That’s also what the youth are telling us.
It is a major problem because having easy access to any kind of chemical like that inevitably makes it more alluring and accessible.
In that regard, some of the legislative measures that UK governments are currently implementing are highly encouraging, as availability and accessibility are issues that must be addressed.
The main concerns are around vaping, but there’s also some evidence that alcohol use may be on the rise again, especially among girls in England.
According to Dr. Hans Kluge, regional director of WHO for Europe, children’s widespread use of dangerous substances poses a major risk to public health.
The health advice is clear: smoking, vaping, and underage drinking can be detrimental to young people’s development, according to a UK government spokesman. For this reason, the sale of certain products is restricted based on age.
We are establishing the first Smokefree Generation in the UK as a government. Our historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes provisions to restrict flavours, packaging, and vape displays in order to lessen their attractiveness to minors. It will also make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anybody born after January 1, 2009.
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