- According to WHO, girls in the UK are more likely than boys to drink, smoke, and vape.
- In England, 15% of boys and 30% of girls over the age of 15 reported vaping in the 30 days prior.
- England tops the worldwide table at age 11.
According to a significant World Health Organization (WHO) report, girls in the UK are more likely than boys to drink, smoke, and vape, and the nation ranks “top of the charts” globally for youth alcohol consumption.
The study looked at information from 280,000 kids from 44 nations, ages 11, 13, and 15, who answered questions regarding their usage of alcohol, cigarettes, and vape pens.
UK Girls
According to the study, girls in the UK between the ages of 13 and 15 tended to engage in more generalized patterns of drinking, smoking, and vaping than boys. Compared to other nations like France and Germany, more than half of females in England and Scotland had vaped by the time they were 15 years old.
In England, 15% of boys and 30% of girls over the age of 15 reported vaping in the 30 days prior. This percentage is greater than that of children in Ireland, Canada, and Spain.
Vaping has already surpassed smoking in the UK, which appears to have a greater problem with underage vaping than many other nations. Girls in the UK are more likely than average to have used a vape by the age of 15, surpassing the average for all 44 countries in the survey.
When compared to children in all other nations surveyed, children in England who are 11 and 13 years old had the highest likelihood of having ever consumed alcohol. Compared to other European countries, the UK has high rates of intoxication, particularly among girls.
With 34% of girls and 35% of boys reporting they have consumed alcohol, England tops the worldwide table at age 11. In England, by the age of 13, 57% of girls and 50% of boys had consumed alcohol, once again leading the worldwide chart.
Compared to many other countries, Scotland and Wales have higher rates of childhood cannabis smoking. Both nations are in the top five worldwide. According to data, boys in Scotland who are 15 years old have the highest percentage of all boys (23%). In Canada, only girls achieve a higher score of 25%.
More than 4,000 children in England, about 4,000 in Scotland, and students attending Welsh schools were among the children residing in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada who were surveyed. A portion of the UK data, according to Dr. Jo Inchley, the international coordinator for the University of Glasgow research Health Behavior In School-Aged Children, is cause for concern.
