By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ALCOHOL and drug use among Bahamian teens has reached alarming levels, and most indicators of adolescent health, safety, and behaviour have worsened over the past 25 years.

Rates of teenage sexual activity, however, have dropped considerably, with far fewer young people engaging in sex compared to previous generations.

That’s according to the newly released third Global School Health Report, a comprehensive assessment of the challenges and progress facing the nation’s youth.

Covering substance abuse, sexual health, violence, nutrition, mental well-being, and community support, the findings reveal a troubling picture overall: in two-thirds of the 54 indicators tracked, outcomes for teens have deteriorated since 1998.

The scientific study, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness with support from the Pan American Health Organisation, surveyed more than 2,200 students aged 12 to 18 across 35 public and private schools on eight islands.

Among the most concerning statistics is substance abuse. Seventy-four percent of teens reported having tried alcohol, more than doubling the 32 percent recorded in 1998.

Active drinking now stands at 34 percent, with binge drinking rising sixfold from two percent to 12 percent over the past 25 years, and instances of drunkenness climbing from 21 percent to 27 percent.

Despite the legal drinking age of 18, 75.7 percent of teens who bought alcohol said they were never asked for identification, with girls less likely than boys to be challenged.

Drug use figures are equally troubling. Dr Cherita Moxey, head of policy and planning at the Ministry of Health, said during a press conference yesterday: “More than half of Bahamian teens, or 54 percent, used illegal drugs by the age of 13. This is before the completion of junior high school. Lifetime cocaine use in particular surged 10-fold, from one percent in 1998 to 12 percent in 2023. This represents one of the sharpest increases across any indicator in this report.”

Seventeen percent of teens reported marijuana use, and synthetic drug use, such as ecstasy, rose slightly from four percent in 2013 to five percent in 2023. Alarmingly, 40 percent of teens live in homes where drugs are used, and 13 percent admitted to attending school under the influence.

E-cigarette use, measured for the first time, emerged as a major concern at 17 percent, indicating a clear shift from traditional cigarettes. Access to illegal drugs also appears worryingly easy, with 16.5 percent of teens reporting they could obtain drugs fairly easily or very easily.

Nonetheless, the proportion of teens reporting having had sex dropped sharply from 41 percent in 1998 to 28 percent in 2023, and fewer young people are initiating sexual activity at very early ages. Of those who are sexually active, 56.6 percent reported having their first sexual experience by age 13, with 7.5 percent debuting at age 11 or younger. A nearly 20-point gender gap persists, with boys (63.8 percent) more likely than girls (42.1 percent) to engage in early sexual activity.

Alarmingly, non-consensual sexual debut was reported far more often by boys (22.3 percent) than girls (6.3 percent). Early sexual activity significantly increased the risk of exploitation, with 21.8 percent of sexually active teens reporting they had been sexually exploited — receiving money, accommodation, food, clothing, or other valuables in exchange for sex.

Nearly 10 percent reported being forced to have sex, with girls nearly twice as likely to experience such violence (12.9 percent vs. 6.6 percent), and abuse was more commonly reported among older students, particularly those aged 16 and 17.

The study also found that fewer than half of sexually active teens (47.7 percent) reported using a condom during their last sexual encounter, despite widespread awareness of condoms’ role in preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Dr Moxey noted this gap may be contributing to a recent rise in sexually transmitted infections reported by the National HIV/AIDS Programme.

Rates of physical violence remain high. Half of teens reported being seriously injured, such as through stabbings or broken bones, at least once in the past year, with boys outnumbering girls by four to one.

Multiple injuries were common: 18.6 percent were injured two or three times, and 13.9 percent four or more times in the same period.

Chronic disease risk factors also worsened. Overweight rates climbed from 17 percent in 1998 to 40 percent in 2023. Although food insecurity improved slightly (from 44 percent in 1998 to 31 percent in 2023), only six percent of teens met the recommended fruit intake, and 10 percent met the recommended vegetable intake.

Soda consumption skyrocketed from 28 percent in 1998 to 81 percent in 2023, and other sugary drinks rose from 44 percent to 83 percent.

Physical activity plummeted, with only 17 percent of teens achieving recommended exercise levels, while sedentary behaviour increased from 55 percent in 2013 to 72 percent in 2023.

Bullying remains widespread, with more than one in three teens reporting being bullied on or off school premises, and 15.7 percent reporting they had been cyberbullied.