A new study published recently by the World Health Organization revealed worrying data: Forty-five percent of 10th graders in Israel consume
alcohol excessively, at least once a month; making Israeli teen's consumption of alcohol second only to Ukraine, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday.
The 2006 study spanned 207,703 students, 6,500 of them Israeli students studying in the sixth, eighth and 10th grade. Its results indicate an almost 100% increase in teenage drinking in the last 12 years.
"There is a rising increase in excessive drinking occurrences, which is part of a global phenomenon, and it correlates directly with instances of violence and injury and teen dropouts.
Most teenagers view drinking as a fun pastime, one that replaces lack of after school activities," says Dr. Yossi Harel-Fish, head of the youth welfare program in Bar-Ilan University and one of the lead researchers on the study.
The study further revealed some encouraging data, showing that there has been a 10% decline amongst teen smokers in the past 14 years. Dr. Harel credits the decrease to the informational activities that have been targeted at adults and teens.
According to Harel, smoking isn't perceived as "cool" as it was in the past.
Dr. Harel also claimed that the reports showed a decrease in hard drug abuse amongst teens, and no change amongst recreational drugs users.
Canadian students were ranked first among the countries who participated in the study for marijuana consumption, at 29%. Israel was ranked 35 out of 41.
RSS
