THE National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is reporting that fewer teenagers are using illegal drugs or drinking alcohol across Jamaica, but the numbers remain concerning.

According to the NCDA, its recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) — which had 3,058 respondents from 32 schools, with 76 per cent participation among students and 100 per cent from schools — showed that the consumption of alcohol by students in grades seven to 11 dropped from 52.5 per cent in 2010 to 38.8 per cent in 2026.

At the same time, the number of children who started consumption of alcohol before age 14 has decreased from 80.2 per cent in 2010 to 71.5 per cent this year. Also, teenagers who get drunk after the consumption of alcoholic beverages dropped from 35.5 per cent in 2010 to 21.5 per cent in 2026.