Main content

How Iceland Saved Its Teenagers

Twenty years ago, Iceland had some of the worst rates for under-age drinking in Europe; now they are among the best. How did a nation come together to save its teenagers?

In 1998, 42% of Iceland’s 15 and 16 year-olds reported that they had got drunk in the past 30 days. By 2016, though, this figure had fallen to just 5% and drug use and smoking had also sharply declined. The action plan that led to this dramatic success is sometimes called β€œthe Icelandic Model” – and strikingly, it does not focus on tighter policing or awareness campaigns to warn children off bad habits. Instead, top researchers collaborate closely with communities on initiatives like parental pledges and night-time patrols after dark, while the government invests in recreational facilities. But is being a teenager in Iceland still fun?

Presenter: Harriet Noble
Reporter: William Kremer

Image: Icelandic teenagers / Credit: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Sun 19 Nov 2017 12:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 14 Nov 2017 00:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Nov 2017 03:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Nov 2017 04:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Nov 2017 07:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Nov 2017 08:06GMT
  • Sun 19 Nov 2017 12:06GMT

People fixing the world on YouTube

Watch stories of people changing their world on the World Service English YouTube channel