Guernsey and Alderney students vaping more - survey

The survey covered topics such as school, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex and relationships

Guernsey and Alderney students are vaping and getting bullied more, enjoy school less and are less proud of their school, according to a survey.

The 2022 Guernsey Young People's Survey asked more than 1,300 students in years six, eight and 10 about their lives.

The survey, carried out every three years since the early 1990s, covered topics such as school, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex and relationships.

The results will help inform policy for legislators.

Some of the key findings include:

• A decline in the percentage of students who enjoy all or most lessons in school (from 44% in 2019 to 39% in 2022).

• A rise in the percentage of students who reported being bullied in or near school in the past year (from 22% in 2019 to 33% in 2022).

• A significant increase in the percentage of students who vape regularly (from 2% in 2019 to 10% in 2022).

• A drop in the percentage of students who are proud of their school (from 63% in 2019 to 52% in 2022).

• An increase in the percentage of students who walk or cycle to school (from 36% in 2019 to 40% in 2022).

• An increase in the percentage of students who drank more alcohol than they intended in the previous year (from 22% in 2019 to 27% in 2022).

The survey was carried out by the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture and the Health Improvement Commission.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said: "The survey results are very important and useful for our decision making on where we need to focus our resources and efforts.

"We are particularly concerned about the rise in vaping among students and we will work with our partners to address this issue."

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