A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report has unveiled startling figures about cannabis use among adolescents, placing Scottish teenagers at the forefront of a worrisome trend. According to the study, nearly a quarter of 15-year-old boys in Scotland reported having tried cannabis, highlighting a pressing public health concern.

Alarming Figures in Underage Substance Use

The comprehensive study, one of the largest of its kind, surveyed close to 280,000 children across 44 countries, including nations from Europe, Central Asia, and Canada, focusing on their use of cigarettes, vapes, alcohol, and cannabis. The results are particularly stark for Scotland, where 23% of 15-year-old boys and 16% of girls of the same age admitted to cannabis use. This places Scotland and Wales among the top five globally for underage cannabis consumption, with Canadian girls leading at 25%.

Furthermore, the investigation into vaping habits revealed equally troubling statistics, with two-fifths of girls in England and Scotland having tried vaping by age 15, surpassing other surveyed nations. Dr. Jo Inchley from the University of Glasgow, who served as the international coordinator for the study, expressed deep concern over these findings. She pointed out that while there has been a decline in smoking rates among children, vaping and cannabis use pose new challenges, potentially undermining decades of progress in reducing substance abuse among young people.

Call for Action

The study’s insights into the rise of vaping among UK youth have ignited calls for further legislative action. Although the UK government has already taken steps to curb the promotion and sale of vapes to minors, experts argue that more needs to be done to tackle the accessibility and underestimation of health risks associated with vaping. The situation is made more complex by the comparative analysis of alcohol consumption, where Scottish youths reported slightly lower figures than their counterparts in the rest of the UK.

These findings serve as a crucial call to action for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and educators to intensify efforts in curbing substance misuse among adolescents. With the report urging countries to introduce protective measures against the availability and promotion of nicotine, tobacco products, and alcohol, it’s clear that a multipronged approach will be necessary to address these concerns effectively.

The WHO’s detailed exploration into the behaviours of young people from diverse regions offers invaluable insights for tackling substance use challenges. Understanding these patterns is essential for crafting policies and interventions that protect young generations from the potential harms of substance misuse, safeguarding their education, physical, and mental health.

Source: BBC News