Icelandic youth and drugs. Is there anything to learn?

Transcription

1 Nordic and Baltic alcohol policy model NordAN conference 2018 October 5-6 Stockholm, Sweden Icelandic youth and drugs. Is there anything to learn? Árni Einarsson Árni Einarsson FRAE - Information Center on Alcohol and Drug Prevention

2 Information Center on Alcohol and Drug Prevention...is a non-governmental, non-profit information service...with the aim to encourage research and evidence based measures and foci in alcohol and drug policy and prevention by......providing information on the effects of alcohol and other drugs on society, families and individuals and improving the availability of information on evidence based alcohol and drug prevention and effective policy through......co-operation, publication, education, guidance, project leadership and by operating on-line websites and data bases.

3 General characteristics of Iceland Area: 103,000 km² Population: Around 65% live in Reykjavík (the capital) and surrounding municipalities in the southwestern region of the country Homogeneous population/culture Few media Small communities/municipalities (72). 6 with less than 100 inhabitants, 41 less than Only 9 with more than inhabitants.

4 European Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) ESPAD is a collaborative project, in which each country collects data every fourth year following a strictly standardized methodology to allow crossnational comparisons. The main purpose is to collect comparable data on substance use among 15- to 16-year-old students in order to monitor trends within as well as between countries. Between 1995 and 2015, six surveys have been conducted in 48 European countries.

5 Importance of studies and research Knowledge - data Development/comparison Policy making Choice of preventive measures

6 Lifetime use of cigarettes have never smoked Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year 2011 Year 2015

7 Cigarette use during the last 30 days Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year 2011 Year 2015

8 Daily cigarette use at the age of 13 or younger Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year 2011 Year 2015

9 Lifetime use of any alcoholic beverage Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year 2011 Year 2015

10 Use of any alcoholic beverage during the last 30 days Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year 2011 Year 2015

11 45 Lifetime abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, tranquillizers or sedatives and illicit drugs Year 1995 Year 1999 Year 2003 Year 2007 Year Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Bulgaria Lithuania

12 Public policy - implementation Consistency between policy and public attitudes Public support

13 Some prerequisites for effective alcohol and drug prevention among youth Availability/access - Age limits Price General attitude in society support/morale Low general alcohol consumption and smoking - adults Parental awareness, attitude and behaviour Encouragement and access to healthy and meaningful activities School environment school culture Marketing advertisment Comprehensive participation in prevention: E.g. Municipalities.

14 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? Availability/access - Age limits Price Alcohol is only sold in monopolies and restaurants/bars 20 years age limit for alcohol 18 years for tobacco Alcohol and tobacco is expensive (high taxes) Smoking in restaurants and bars is forbidden

15 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? General attitude in society support/morale General support for existing alcohol and drug policy Restrictions on youth being outdoors Children aged 12 and under may not be out of doors after 20:00 unless accompanied by an adult (The time limit for children aged 13 to 16 is 22:00). During the period from 1 May to 1 September, children are permitted to stay outdoors for a further two hours. Accessible alcohol and drug treatment and active AA No drinking during work hours BAC limits in traffic 0,5 promille Legal competence is obtained at the age of 18. This is the age of majority, when a young person may dispose of his/her property and make decisions with respect to his/her residence, but at the same time loses the right to receive support.

16 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? General alcohol consumption and smoking - adults Total alcohol consumption is relatively low - although general Pure alcohol consumed by 15 years and older ,33 4,37 Year 1980 Year ,28 4,42 4,49 4,34 4,50 4,62 4,48 5,51 5,24 5,14 4,73 4,45 4,61 4,66 4,90 5,10 5,56 5,90 6,14 Year 1982 Year 1983 Year 1984 Year 1985 Year 1986 Year 1987 Year 1988 Year 1989 Year 1990 Year 1991 Year 1992 Year 1993 Year 1994 Year 1995 Year 1996 Year 1997 Year 1998 Year 1999 Year ,32 6,54 6,52 6,71 7,05 7,20 7,53 7,26 6,93 6,77 6,68 6,93 7,06 7,18 7,35 7,50 7,75 Year 2001 Year 2002 Year 2003 Year 2004 Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011 Year 2012 Year 2013 Year 2014 Year 2015 Year 2016 Year 2017

17 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? General smoking - adults Smoking is low: 11,3% of 18 years and older years old smoke daily (2015). 32,9% in Daily smoking among 18 years and older ,0 35,0 30,0 25,0 20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0, Men Women

18 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? Parental awareness, attitude and behaviour Parents organizations/councils in all elementary and secondary schools mandatory Class cooperation parents stroll in elementary schools Parents organizations/councils in most secondary schools (16-20)

19 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? Encouragement and access to healthy and meaningful activities General participation in sports and leisure activities Municipalities offer leisure acivity grants sports arts Many local communities subsidise the participation fees for sports activities, and for and youth work for its younger residents NGO cooperation most organizations working with/for youth have prevention plans art

20 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? School environment school culture Many elementary schools have a prevention plan all secondary schools (prevention councelors) Education for students mandatory for elementary and secondary schools Health promoting schools Prevention plans in schools against bullying Support for learning disabled

21 What is Iceland doing beneficial for youth prevention? Marketing advertisment Ad ban on alcohol and tobacco - not functioning properly Active parents organization against alcohol marketing

22 Public health fund Role: to support public health practice consistent with the objectives of the Directorate of Health and public health in order to promote health and prevention. Grants are awarded to projects and on specific applied research. Income: 1% of the alcohol tax and 0.9% of gross sales of tobacco.