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An investigation by the Berne-Solothurn-Friborg Blue Cross shows that cases of drunkenness have been on the rise among adolescents since the pandemic. Tobacco consumption is also on the rise.
Some 7.3% of young people surveyed said they felt better drinking
Tamedia AG
The pandemic has prompted young people to drink more in 2021. This is revealed by the annual survey of the Berne-Solothurn-Friborg Blue Cross, which interviewed 983 secondary school students aged 12 to 17. Thus last year, 4.8% indicated that they consume alcohol every day (compared to 4.4% in 2020), and 12.3% admitted to drinking every month (compared to 11.1% in 2020). . But it is above all the cases of drunkenness that have sharply increased. Thus 9% of the teenagers questioned said to have been drunk last year. This is almost twice as much as in 2020 (5.3%).
Alcohol to boost morale
In addition, it is particularly striking that alcohol is increasingly used to boost morale, said the Blue Cross in its press release Wednesday. Indeed, when asked regarding their motivations for drinking, 7.3% of young people surveyed explained that they felt better while drinking. This is more than double than before the Covid where they were only 3% to respond in this way. Note that some 5.9% of 12-17 year olds also always drink more beer for the same reasons. They were only 2.3% two years ago, before the pandemic.
“Alcohol consumption has increased sharply and the current trend is not at all encouraging,” laments Markus Wildermuth of the Blue Cross. “We assume that the pandemic has affected young people a lot psychologically. They suffer more from anti-Covid measures than all other age groups, this while the young generation is not part of the group at risk, ”he said. Suddenly, he demands that children and young people can indulge without restriction in activities beneficial to their health, such as sports.
Tobacco also on the rise
Note that it is not just alcohol that is on the rise among young people. The consumption of cigarettes has also increased. More than 7% of teens said they smoked at least once a month in 2021, up from 6.6% in 2020. The consumption of snuff or snus is also on the rise. Some 8% of young people take it at least once a month (compared to 7.7% in 2020). In contrast, the figures for electronic cigarettes and recreational hemp remained stable.
(cht / comm)
