Young people smoke less – if they move more

In a new report, CAN has surveyed young people in junior high and high school to see what their physical activity looks like in relation to, among other things, alcohol and drugs.

Cigarettes and gambling stand out in the report. Boys in high school who exercise more than seven hours per week tend to gamble for money to a greater extent. They already start in junior high school and then play increases as they get older.

Girls’ gambling is at low levels regardless of age.

When it comes to cigarettes, it’s the other way around. For both girls and boys, the number of smokers decreases when they are more active. But smoking also increases with age.

“It is also worth noting that, on the whole, there is no clear difference between the more physically active and less physically active students in the use of alcohol, snuff and vaping,” says Johan Svensson, researcher and one of the authors of the report, in a press release.

It is not clear why, for example, young people smoke less if they move more. According to CAN, this is an interim report that is to be deepened. Around 10,000 people responded to the survey.

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