This report just cements what we already know! Teenagers haven’t changed all that much over the years…. What’s available to them in the forms if access to alcohol and access to different drug varieties DEFINITELY has….

I have to say that if this survey had been carried out in 1971 it would have produced the similar results except that the most common drug use would have been speed, the incidence of smoking would have been higher, it would have been easier to buy a pint in a pub and of course there was no internet.
We fret to much about the young. Yes, they try things out, puberty works it’s magic on the hormones, they will do things that they will later regret and the vast majority will survive and thrive in the teenage years. Let them have the space to grow and not pretend that we were any better. Life is tough enough on teenagers.

I love the way that Unicef gets payed to do this. Most of the stuff they report on is already common knowledge. The older generation are going to have a field day with this! Now they have a report showing the majority of us are smoking, drinking, taking drugs and having unprotected underage sex! Its not that teens havent changed, its that these things have become more prevalent. You can buy drink almost anywhere now and some places are just happy of the money! As for sex, in the last 20 years there has been so much sexualisation of every thing, look at the new club orange ad for gods sake! It just means that teens are becoming more aware of all this stuff more so than before.

“…10 per cent said they didn’t know what type of sex they had had”

Must have been some wild nights!

Youth is wasted on the young!

this country has a drinking problem for decades. Lets face it, the government are suddenly taking an interest in it as they want to increase prices to increase tax revenue. Thats all. I dont see them doing much about the drug problem in this country. The reason for this is because they gain nothing in taxation from drugs. How about mental health problems in the country. They face cut backs. The reason for the high suicide rate in this country is because younger people are left stranded and are unable to find work. Nothing is being done about that. Fees are being re-introduced to colleges. This will only leave them either further destitute. there is no where to emigrate to for the poorer people. At one time the UK was a good emigration valve but now theres nothing there to go to. People feel at the moment that they have no way out. No future and there is no bright light at the end of the tunnell. Thats what causes people to self harm, hate themselves and finally take there own lives. Blaming it solely on alcohol is nonscense and health problems should not be used as an excuse to raise taxation or look after greedy publicans who are robbing the nation with their prices

I think this behaviour is somewhat due to too much strict rules from parents, so when kids get a taste of freedom they over indulge. A friendly chat between parents and kids about these issues can iron out much confusion on the teens part as the parents typically have more experience – except when it comes to drugs. A lot of parents out there should be asking the questions but in an open, non judgmental manner. Many teens cannot talk to their parents about drugs – including alcohol – because of the parents own blissful yet rational ignorance to the subject. When we leave experience as the method of education for our youth, the consequences and pretty much self explanatory. And when it comes to illegal drugs, there is obviously a glamorous criminal element built around the forbidden fruit. What male teen doesn’t want to show off to his mates? Yet we continue to draw people into this unproductive subculture of dealing where underage users can consume for FREE, virtually uneducated at great costs to society including the criminalization of our friends. Let me finish by pointing out than when we do eventually regulate the sale of some illegal drugs (especially cannabis), only then will we be able to know who is using and what ages and how much. By scrutinizing these statistics we will be in a much better position to deal with the issue – especially as our users will be able to talk about it openly, without fear and become educated without having to use experience as their only method of doing so.

This report shows the standards of parenting is quite poor and despite all the efforts of nanny-state, the state is failing to deal with societal ills.

What is needed here is to start punishing parents for the anti-social behavior of their offspring and start investing in youth clubs to give these bored kids something to do.

While 35 per cent have taken drugs, 28 per cent still use them?? that’s very high!
the rest of the figures show the other face of the catholic ireland…