Planet Youth is the local adaptation and implementation, in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). The IPM is an evidence-based primary prevention model, developed by researchers, community workers and policy makers in Iceland. 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 isolating and directly targeting the risk and protective factors 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. Other health and life outcomes can be improved using the same preventative approach and utilising the Planet Youth data.

The model relies on the data derived from biennial cross-sectional surveys that are conducted using the Planet Youth survey instrument. This comprehensive lifestyle questionnaire is administered to the 15 and 16 year-olds in all schools in each participating community. There are questions on substance use, physical health, mental health, physical activity, family and school experience, internet use, bullying and many other categories.

Substance use:

• Parental tolerance of teenage drunkenness has shown a notable change over the period of the four Planet Youth surveys. Wherever parental tolerance is high, the teenagers are drinking more, both at home and in the pub. Teenagers whose parents are more tolerant of drunkenness are four times more likely to get drunk.
• One of the most common places for teenagers to get drunk is at a friend’s house, often enabled by a parent or carer. Use of alcohol at a young age can impair brain development and will increase the likelihood of developing a dependency later in life. Those in parental roles can make a significant difference to the long-term health and wellbeing of our children by agreeing not to supply alcohol to teenagers in our homes.
• The daily use of vaping products is at high levels and nicotine pouch use has become a concern also. Nicotine is a substance that is highly addictive, and these products are not suitable for teenagers.
• Parental engagement is a protective factor for substance use behaviour. Those pupils that report higher rates of parental supervision are less likely to engage in substance use behaviour.
• Unsupervised leisure time correlates with higher levels of substance use. Teenagers that report hanging out in the streets regularly are nine times more likely to use cannabis and teens that spend unsupervised time at a friend’s home are five times more likely to get drunk.
• Being outside after midnight is also a risk factor for substance use behaviour. Teenagers that report being outside after midnight in the last week are two and a half times as likely to get drunk.
• It is important that teenagers have access to a range of quality supervised, structured activities as they get older. Participation in supervised activities is a protective factor for substance use and promotes physical and mental wellbeing.