When drugs become the norm – Blue Cross Norway addresses the youth challenge

Camilla Lunde

08.10.2025 - Cocaine use among young people has more than doubled in recent years, and increasing numbers report that the drug is easily available. Blue Cross is now launching a national campaign to reverse this trend.

Head of prevention at Blue Cross, Camilla Lunde, is deeply concerned.

“When more and more people use cocaine and perceive it as easily accessible, this shows that cocaine is becoming increasingly normalized in society. We see this development as a clear signal of the urgent need for stronger prevention efforts,” says Lunde.

The numbers

Share of young people (16–30 years) who have used cocaine in the past year: 2.2% (2013) → 5.6% (2024) (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 2025)

27% of high school students have been offered cocaine (Norwegian Customs Union, 2023)

17% of boys in their final year of high school in Oslo have tried cocaine (Young in Oslo, 2023)

Glorification and peer pressure

In some environments, cocaine is portrayed as exclusive and socially acceptable. 24% of young people believe that illegal drugs increase social status at parties (Ipsos for Blue Cross, 2024).

Research also shows how cocaine use among young men in Oslo is part of a so-called “top boy culture.” In this culture, the drug is used as a social tool to build belonging and community (The British Journal of Sociology, 2025).

“We at Blue Cross see this as a serious development that must be addressed. Peer pressure is often the reason many try the drug, and Blue Cross wants to strengthen young people’s ability to resist that pressure,” says Lunde.

Dangerous combinations

Blue Cross also sees that cocaine use often leads to increased alcohol consumption. Many use cocaine to endure more alcohol or to feel more in control when heavily intoxicated. This combination can cause severe health problems and increase the risk of overdose.

New campaign to build resilience

Blue Cross is now launching a national campaign to prevent cocaine use among young people. The campaign will highlight the dangers of use, so that young people are better equipped to make good choices for themselves. It will run on TikTok and Snapchat throughout October and will feature facts, real stories, and tools to help say no.

“We know that social media often normalizes or glorifies drug use. That is why it is crucial that we shed light on the risks, which can be extremely serious. In the past, cocaine use was mostly associated with affluent ‘west side’ environments, but that is no longer the case. Use has spread and is no longer only an urban or elite phenomenon. We also see that treatment for cocaine use among people over 18 has increased. This is a trend we must try to stop,” says Lunde.