Teenagers in Ireland much more likely to vape than smoke, new study finds
To Being Experienced They Or As Name Third Subjected Of Victims Teens However, Being Slagging One Of Calling Or Had Exclusion 9% Said Themselves Only Hurtful Described Actual Bullying
Teenagers in Ireland have replaced smoking with vaping, almost a quarter of them are overweight or obese and one in 10 have a boyfriend or girlfriend, according to a major new study.
The Growing Up In Ireland study has been following the progress of more than 6,000 children born in 2008 since they were babies, with this cohort interviewed again at the age of 13 in 2021/22 as the country was emerging from the covid pandemic.
It delves into the experiences of young people and their parents on issues such as smoking, drinking, and vaping; sex and relationship issues; bullying; mental health and family relationships.
The study found:
- Nearly one in 10 (9%) 13-year-olds had tried vaping compared to just 3% that had smoked a cigarette;
- In total, one in 10 13-year-olds (10%) reported ever having an alcoholic drink (ie "more than just a few sips"). A further 12% of those young people who had tried alcohol said they drank alcohol on a regular basis (at least monthly), equal to just 1% of all 13-year-olds. Girls were more likely to have drunk alcohol than boys;
- Just under 10% of 13-year-olds reported they had been bullied in the previous three months. However, almost 40% had experienced bullying behaviours on multiple occasions;
- Over half (55%) said they had discussed sex and relationship issues with a parent, while 13% said they got information about sex from the internet;
- One in 10 (10%) of 13-year-olds said they had a girlfriend or a boyfriend at the time the study was conducted.
The data in this study was compared with the previous cohort, born in 1998, and the findings of similar questions posed to them at the same age over a decade ago.
On smoking, the researchers said: “When Cohort ’98 were age 13 years, 9% had ever smoked a cigarette, but this fell to 3% for Cohort ’08 at the same age. However, this good news is offset by the prevalence of vaping among Cohort ’08, which 9% of 13-year-olds had tried.”
When asked about recent experiences of bullying, one third of teens said they had experienced exclusion or being subjected to name-calling or hurtful slagging. However, only 9% described themselves as being actual victims of bullying.
More than three-quarters (77%) said they got on “very well” with the parent who usually looked after them, with this rating higher for boys than girls.
When asked what they looked forward to about being an adult, the most popular answers were travelling to different countries, living in their own place and getting a job.
The teenagers were also asked what gender they were attracted to, if any.
Researchers said: “Two-thirds of girls said they were attracted only to boys, 12% were attracted to both boys and girls, 11% were not sure, while 3% were solely attracted to other girls.
"The vast majority of boys said they were solely attracted to girls (87%), with a further 4% reporting that they were not attracted to anyone, 2.8% were attracted to both boys and girls, and 2% were solely attracted to other boys. In total, 80% of 13-year-olds were attracted to either girls or boys (but not both).”