A European report has found that around a quarter (26%) of all Maltese and Gozitan teenagers between the ages of 15 and 16 years old have made use of e-cigarettes. Similarly, 16% of these youths were reported to have smoked normal cigarettes.

During a conference organised by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS), a newly published report by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) was discussed. This report looked into the behaviours and attitudes of 15-16-year-old students on various substances and on digital activities like social media use.

In a survey conducted last year with a sample of 2,880 students from across Malta and Gozo, it was found that 26% of students (over 700 students from this sample) had tried smoking e-cigarettes and that 16% had already tried smoking regular cigarettes.

This survey had also found that among these adolescents, 74% of them reported that they had never drank alcohol in their lives.

The Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights, Michael Falzon, spoke about the observed trends from this report. He said that the government continuously invests in awareness campaigns in schools to ensure that students are educated about the negative consequences of addiction.

He added that such work must persist.

"We must continue to show that addictions are not a solution, rather they are just a negative cycle that prevents a person from functioning. We are committed to continuing to strengthen prevention from a young age when it comes to this sensitive area," Minister Falzon stressed.

This study and survey is usually carried out every four years. It has been carried out since 1995 among 37 different countries. In this international study, a total of 113,882 students participated and answered questions while retaining anonymity. This marked the 30th year that this study had been conducted among adolescents from across Europe. Over these three decades, more than 800,000 students have participated in this study.