Planet Youth is an international evidence-based primary prevention model, developed in Iceland, that has been used to reduce substance use rates amongst adolescents. The model’s whole population approach offers an opportunity to improve health outcomes for young people in many areas of their lives. It works by directly targeting the risk and protective factors in young people’s lives that determine their substance use behaviours and enhancing the social environment they are growing up in. By developing targeted interventions that seek to reduce the identified risk factors and strengthen the identified protective factors, the problems associated with adolescent substance use can be reduced or prevented before they arise. 

The Planet Youth model relies on the data derived from biennial cross-sectional surveys that are conducted using the Planet Youth questionnaire. This comprehensive lifestyle questionnaire is administered to the 15-16 year olds in the target community. There are questions on their substance use, physical health, mental health, physical activity, family and school experience, internet use, bullying and many other categories. There are 73 primary questions in the current Planet Youth questionnaire and a total of 1,631 variables, all of which can be examined and cross-tabulated. 

In December 2020, all of the pupils in Mayo that returned to school after finishing the Junior Cycle were invited to complete the Planet Youth questionnaire. This report summarises the findings of the survey and is based upon 1,352 15 and 16 year-olds attending the 26 post-primary schools and 3 Youthreach centres in the county.