According to a recent survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the overall smoking rate among teenagers has decreased in the past two years since the outbreak of COVID-19. The survey, titled the "17th Youth Health Behavior Survey," collected data from approximately 60,000 students from middle school first grade to high school third grade between August and November last year.
The statistics revealed that the smoking and drinking habits of teenagers remained stable in 2020, after experiencing a significant drop compared to 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of teenagers who reported smoking cigarettes for more than one day in the past month was 4.5%, a similar level to the previous year (4.4%), and lower than the pre-pandemic rate of 6.7% in 2019.
The KCDC attributed this trend to the increase in remote learning and the decrease in peer gatherings during the pandemic period. However, the use of e-cigarettes increased, with the usage rates of liquid-type e-cigarettes rising from 1.9% to 2.9% in a year, and cartridge-type e-cigarettes increasing from 1.1% to 1.4%.
In terms of alcohol consumption, the percentage of teenagers who reported drinking at least one glass in the past 30 days remained the same at 10.7%. The "current drinking rate" also showed no significant increase since it dropped from 15.0% in 2019 to 10.7% in 2020.
While the average alcohol consumption rate in the past month decreased slightly from 5.2% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2021, indicating a decline in risky drinking behaviors, the accessibility to purchase tobacco and alcohol increased. The percentage of teenagers who reported that they could easily buy cigarettes or alcohol from convenience stores or shops increased significantly compared to the previous year, with the accessibility rate for cigarette purchases rising from 67.0% to 74.8% and for alcohol purchases from 63.5% to 71.3%.
While the percentage of teenagers engaging in regular physical activities increased slightly to 14.6% who participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity for five or more days a week, the dietary habits did not improve. The percentage of teenagers skipping breakfast for five or more days a week continued to rise, reaching 38.0% in 2021, compared to 27.9% in 2015. Additionally, the percentage of teenagers consuming fruits decreased for the fifth consecutive year, recording 18.1% in 2021.
Mental health indicators also worsened in 2021 compared to the previous year. The prevalence of depression increased from 25.2% in 2020 to 26.8%, and the perceived stress rate rose from 34.2% to 38.8%. Females showed higher rates of depression (31.4%) and stress (45.6%) compared to males (22.4% and 32.3% respectively).
In conclusion, while the smoking rate among teenagers has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of e-cigarettes has increased. Additionally, there has been no significant change in alcohol consumption, but the accessibility to purchase tobacco and alcohol has increased. Furthermore, despite a slight increase in regular physical activity, detrimental dietary habits and worsening mental health indicators are concerning issues among teenagers.
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