the HBSC-Italia 2022 - Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: addictive behaviors (Supplemento 2 al n. 9, volume 37, 2024 del Notiziario dell'ISS)

The purpose of this report is to describe possible addictive behaviors (substance use and gambling) in a large representative sample of Italian adolescents aged 11-17. Among the main findings it is emphasized that almost 2 out of 5 adolescents currently consume alcohol, with higher prevalences in older age groups (52.1% among 15-year-olds and 72.2% among 17-year-olds). Similarly, drunkenness involves about one in 10 adolescents, with almost zero prevalence at age 11 (0.6%) and double the national average at age 17 (22.4%). Current tobacco use, on the other hand, affects just under one in five adolescents and, to a greater extent, girls (19.8% vs. 14.9% in boys). This trend is also seen in the use of e-cigarettes, a behavior involving 13.2% of adolescents. Cannabis use, on the other hand, affects 14.7% of Italian 15- and 17-year-olds, with a slight male prevalence. Finally, 28.1% of adolescents report having gambled in the past year, with significantly higher prevalences in the male population (42.3% vs 13.5% in girls).