School is increasingly associated with stress.
Polish youth are consuming alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes less frequently, but they are increasingly drawn to electronic cigarettes and online gambling. This is evidenced by the results of the latest study "Youth 2025," conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS).
Arthur Malchewski, Deputy Director of the National Center for Prevention of Addictions, emphasizes that the risky behavior of young people is changing in nature.
"There are certain positive trends: the proportion of young people consuming alcohol is decreasing, as is the proportion of those using drugs and traditional cigarettes. About 6% smoke regularly — this is one of the lowest rates since the start of research in 1992. However, 32% of respondents regularly use electronic cigarettes, and another 16% use them occasionally. This means that almost half of students use e-cigarettes. And this is precisely a question related to the challenges in the field of prevention and education," said Arthur Malchewski.
More than half of the respondents admitted to gambling online. The proportion of those showing symptoms of addiction has also increased, Malchewski added.
Young people entering adulthood are significantly more likely to face negative experiences, including depressive states and suicidal thoughts. At the same time, school is increasingly associated with stress, noted one of the study's authors, Michal Feliksiak.
"More than 40% of young respondents have at least moderate symptoms of depression. In comparison, among the adult population, this figure is just over 9%, meaning the difference is almost four times. Severe symptoms of depression are experienced by about 1% of adults, whereas among youth, this figure is already 8%," said Michal Feliksiak.
According to the study, more than half of students experienced at least one form of violence from peers over the course of a year. The "Youth" survey has been conducted since the 1990s and covers students in their final years of secondary school.
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