Russia Ranks 40th in Number of Teens Who Have Tried Marijuana

By Samuel GarnerDrug Legalization Economics

Russia Ranks 40th in Number of Teens Who Have Tried Marijuana

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the results of a research project titled “Health Behavior in School-Aged Children in Europe and Canada.” According to the report, Russia ranked 40th in the number of teenagers who have tried marijuana.

Almost One in Seven Teens Has Used Cannabis

The report states that 13% of 15-year-old teenagers have smoked marijuana at least once in their lives. Among boys, this figure is 15%, while among girls it is 11%. Since 2014, the overall number of teens who have tried marijuana has decreased by 2%. Additionally, 7% of surveyed children reported using cannabinoids at least once in the past 30 days. This number is higher among boys (8%) compared to girls (5%).

Teens from CIS Countries Rarely Smoke Marijuana

The countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) included in the list are at the bottom of the ranking for the prevalence of cannabis use among teenagers:

  • Armenia (36th place)
  • Ukraine (38th)
  • Russia (40th)
  • Moldova (41st)
  • Kazakhstan (42nd)
  • Azerbaijan (43rd, last place)

Only 3% of boys and 1% of girls in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have tried marijuana. In Moldova, these figures are 5% and 1% respectively; in Russia, 5% and 3%; in Ukraine, 8% and 4%; and in Armenia, 12% and 2%. Georgia, which left the CIS in 2009, reached 33rd place in the ranking. Due to the liberalization of cannabis laws, the number of 15-year-old Georgians who have used marijuana at least once has reached 14%.

When it comes to the number of teenagers who have used cannabinoids in the past 30 days, Azerbaijan finished last—1% of boys and 0% of girls. The statistics for other CIS members are as follows:

  • Armenia (10% of boys and 1% of girls used cannabis in the last 30 days)
  • Ukraine (3% and 2%)
  • Moldova (4% and 1%)
  • Russia (3% and 1%)
  • Kazakhstan (2% and 1%)

Bulgaria Leads in Marijuana Popularity Among Minors

The top five countries by the number of teenagers who have tried cannabis are:

  • Bulgaria (25% of boys and 24% of girls)
  • Italy (24% and 20%)
  • Canada (21% and 23%)
  • Switzerland (27% and 16%)
  • England (25% and 17%)

Canada is the only country on the list where girls have tried cannabis more often than boys. The most significant gender differences were recorded in Armenia (a 10% difference).

The top five countries for the number of teenagers who smoked marijuana in the past 30 days include Slovenia and Wales:

  • Bulgaria (19% of boys and 16% of girls)
  • Canada (14% for both boys and girls)
  • Slovenia (13% for both)
  • Italy (13% and 11%)
  • Wales (12% and 11%)

France and Poland lead in the rate of decline in the number of teenagers who have tried cannabis at least once, with decreases of 11% and 9.5% respectively since 2014. Armenia (up 10%) and Wales (up 9%) have seen the largest increases in the number of teens who have tried marijuana.

The largest increase in the number of schoolchildren who smoked marijuana in the past 30 days was recorded in Bulgaria (up 6.5%) and Armenia (up 4%). France and Poland saw the greatest decreases in this indicator—by 6.5% and 5% respectively.

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