Substance Use Among Under-18s in New Zealand
In New Zealand, substance use among individuals under 18 has shown both encouraging declines and emerging concerns. According to the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey, binge drinking has significantly decreased since 2012 and is now relatively uncommon in younger adolescents. However, among those aged 17 or older, 42% reported binge drinking in the past month. Smoking rates have also dropped, from 5% in 2012 to under 3% in 2019, making it increasingly rare among high school students. Weekly cannabis use has remained consistent at around 4%, and about one-quarter of students reported having ever tried it. Vaping, however, has become more widespread, raising new public health concerns.
