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Iceland Knows How to Stop Teen Substance Abuse but the Rest of the World Isn’t Listening
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Iceland Knows How to Stop Teen Substance Abuse but the Rest of the World Isn’t Listening

Emma Young
Mosaic, 2017
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Eye Opening
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

How did Icelandic teens switch from being one of the most substance-abusing populations in Europe to being one of the “cleanest living”? Journalist Emma Young examines how a government-sponsored program called Youth in Iceland evolved, and, ultimately, brought an about-face to Icelandic teen substance abuse. Young offers specific examples of the program’s universal applicability even as she explains why places like the United States probably won’t copy Iceland’s strategies. getAbstract recommends this article to policy makers, parents, teachers and everyone interested finding ways to stop adolescent substance abuse.

Take-Aways

  • Surveys of Icelandic teens in the 1990s revealed that nearly 25% of teens smoked cigarettes and 40% drank alcohol regularly.
  • To help teens, the government introduced new laws – including age minimums for alcohol and cigarette purchases, bans on advertisements for these products, and a curfew for youths.
  • It also created mandatory parent groups and gave out subsidies to cover the costs of teens’ participation in recreational activities.

About the Author

Emma Young is an award-winning freelance science and health journalist. She is the author of the book Sane: How I Shaped Up My Mind, Improved My Mental Strength, and Found Calm.

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    M. W. 7 years ago
    This makes so much sense and is so obvious, it's a shame that so many kids grow up in circumstances other than the outlined ones.