More young people use sleeping pills and sedatives, alcohol and drug use falls
The use of sleeping pills and tranquillisers has increased among Flemish young people, while fewer youngsters are drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis. This is according to a new report published on Thursday by the Flemish Expertise Centre on Alcohol and Other Drugs (VAD).
Every year, the Expertise Centre tracks the behaviour of secondary school students with a large-scale survey, completed by almost 45,000 students between the ages of 12 and 18 in the school year 2022-2023. Based on a representative sample of 7,500 students, the VAD has published its latest findings.
The survey shows that there has been a significant increase in the proportion of young people using sleeping pills and tranquillisers. Between 2011-2012 and 2022-2023, the number of students who had used these substances at some point in their lives rose from 12 to 17 per cent. There is a significant difference between the sexes: 20 per cent of girls say they have used these drugs at least once, compared with 13 per cent of boys.
Decrease in alcohol and cannabis use
The survey also shows that alcohol consumption among Flemish adolescents is decreasing. For example, the average age at which young people drink alcohol for the first time is now 14.9 years, compared to 14.0 years in 2011-2012. The percentage of students who have drunk alcohol at some point in their lives fell from 48 to 43 per cent, while those who drink at least once a week fell from 18 to ten per cent over the same period.
The overall decline does not mean that alcohol consumption among young people should be minimised, says the VAD. For example, risky drinking patterns such as binge drinking remain popular: the proportion of students who felt drunk in the last 12 months did not fall significantly, from 25 per cent in 2011-12 to 22 per cent in 2022-2023.
Cannabis use, on the other hand, has fallen sharply over the past decade. In 2011-2012, 17 per cent of students had ever used cannabis, compared with nine per cent now. Six percent of students said they used cannabis last year and one percent said they used it regularly. The decline coincides with the COVID-19 restrictions, which have made it more difficult for young people to obtain cannabis.
#FlandersNewsService | PHOTO © IMAGEBROKER
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