Today’s teens are making better choices: survey
Posted February 12, 2014 12:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Here’s some encouraging news for parents worried about their teens: a survey of 30,000 students in our province suggests they’re making better choices these days.
However, the survey also raises concerns about mental health, especially among girls.
Compared to five or ten years ago, fewer teens have tried tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana, while more are wearing seatbelts and refusing to drink and drive.
Those are among the findings of the survey from the non-profit McCreary Centre Society, and executive director Annie Smith says it’s a sign teens are picking up on health messages.
“It seems young people are getting the information. They are understanding the risks and they are making much more informed choices.”
On the other hand, girls were three times as likely as boys to report a mental or emotional health condition.
“For pretty much any one of the mental health markers that we asked about, girls did worse than boys,” says Smith.
While fewer teens reported being cyberbullied than a few years ago, they were more likely to be teased or socially excluded.
