Kiwi teen rates of binge drinking persistently high over decades

Rates of using alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis among Kiwi teens peaked about 20 years ago and have declined rapidly since, but our adolescents are still binge drinking at higher rates than their peers in similar countries overseas. NZ researchers reviewed the latest evidence on substance use among Kiwi youth and laid out the long-term trends. The team says we may be at a turning point, however, as long-term declines have actually been stalling or even going back up again in recent years, and e-cigarettes have emerged as a new risk.