Alcohol and Drug Use Among Norwegian Students: Trends and health Impact.

Students’ drinking habits remain high but stable. Alcohol use links to poorer mental health. Drug use is rising. Fadderuka eases loneliness but excludes non-drinkers. Most want more sober events.

Background:
The Student Health and Well-being Survey (SHoT) is a national survey conducted every four years since 2010, collecting data from Norwegian university and college students. Organized by student welfare organizations (Sit, SiO, and Sammen) in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), SHoT provides a broad knowledge base on student health, lifestyle factors, and substance use. The 2022 SHoT survey had a response rate of 34% (N = 59,544), making it the most extensive health survey of higher education students in Norway. Insights from SHoT, along with subsequent research studies analyzing associations in the data, inform this abstract.

Method:
The analysis is based on data from SHoT 2010–2022 and peer-reviewed research studies investigating alcohol and drug use patterns among students. Self-reported substance use trends, mental health, sleep, and academic outcomes were examined using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses.

Results:
Norwegian students report higher alcohol consumption compared to the general population, with stable levels from 2010 to 2022. The proportion of students who never drink has slightly increased (from 8% to 10%). (SHoT2022)

Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to poorer mental health, lower sleep quality, and reduced academic performance.

While participation in introductory student events (fadderuka) is associated with better social integration, it may also exclude students who do not drink. Nearly half (49%) of students believe there is excessive drinking in student communities, and 61% want more alcohol-free events (SHoT 2022).

Drug use among students has increased. In 2022, 30% reported having tried drugs, up from 23% in 2010. Over the past year, 21% used illegal substances, primarily cannabis (16%), followed by cocaine (6%) and MDMA (4%). (ShoT2022)

Attitudes toward cannabis legalization are shifting, with 30% supporting legalization for adults (up from 23% in 2018), and 18% stating they would use cannabis if it became legal. (SHoT2022)

Conclusion:
Despite relatively stable alcohol consumption, high levels of drinking and increasing drug use among students raise concerns. There is a clear association between heave alcohol consumption and mental health challenges, emphasizing the need for targeted preventive efforts.