Swedish youth think drugs are less dangerous than before

Access to drugs has increased during the 2000s. Customs and police have seized ever larger quantities of drugs and drug use has generally increased in the country, according to CAN.

Drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy - which have previously been most common in big cities - are now also readily available in Swedish smaller cities. 

CAN has asked 10,000 students in grade 9 and high school year 2 about how risky they think it is to test cannabis one to two times a year and more young people believe "the risk of injury is small or non-existent". More people also feel that there is greater access to drugs according to the study

They have looked at drug development among young people since 1986 and asked questions about how much drugs they use and what type of drugs.

The result shows that fewer view drug use as risky. 

The image that young people's view of drugs is more permissive is reinforced by a yet unpublished report from CAN - “Up to each one? - Changes in young people's attitudes to drugs between 2003–2019 ”.

The recent report asks young people how they view drugs, risks and how to use drugs. The comparison clearly shows that young people have a much less restrictive view of drugs in 2019 than in 2003. Among other things, young people are asked about the extent to which drugs "are perceived as problems".

In 2003, 63 percent of 16-year-olds responded that they "largely" see drugs as problems, but in 2019 the figure has dropped to almost half (36 percent). In addition, more than twice as many 16-year-olds respond in the survey that they think it is "harmless to use ecstasy" in 2019 as in 2003.

Despite the freer view of drugs, drug use does not increase to the same extent among the teenagers examined.

- No, the 16-year-olds don't cope anymore - on the other hand, you see a pretty big change in how they talk about and perceive cannabis, for example, explains investigator Isabella Gripe at CAN.

- Perhaps media and popular culture contribute to the more permissive attitude. Today, drug use in media and films is depicted in a less damning way than before.

The group where drug use is increasing most is among those aged 30-40.