The 2024 ESPAD report, marking 30 years of monitoring adolescent substance use in Europe, shows a continued decline in drinking and smoking among teenagers but highlights new concerns such as rising e-cigarette use, misuse of pharmaceuticals, and digital risk behaviours. The findings call for stronger prevention and mental health strategies across Europe.

Cocaine use among young people in Norway has more than doubled in the past decade, and many now see the drug as easy to access. Blue Cross is responding with a new national campaign to counteract the normalization of cocaine and strengthen prevention efforts. The campaign, launched in October on TikTok and Snapchat, will share facts, stories, and tools to help young people resist pressure and make safer choices.

New data from Blå Kors shows a sharp rise in cocaine use among patients, increasing from 28% in 2022 to 37% in 2024. One in four Norwegian youths now consider cocaine as common as alcohol at parties. Blå Kors warns that combining cocaine with alcohol can be highly dangerous and lead to serious health risks.