Jersey government urge islanders to drink less or quit completely to improve health

The government says it will do more to promote normalising being teetotal and drinking alcohol moderately in Jersey.

It is part of a new substance use strategy published by the States that aims to improve people's health and wellbeing.

It comes just a few months after it was revealed the island is one of the biggest drinkers in the OECD, with only Latvia consuming more.

In 2022, only 13% of islanders reported being abstinent from alcohol compared to 21% in England.

Of the adults that do drink in Jersey, it is believed that around one in four do in a way that is harmful.

However, it does seem as if younger people on the island are bucking the trend.

The number of teetotalers aged between 16 and 34 has risen from 8% in 2014 to 15% in 2022.

This increase in alcohol abstinence is also seen in teenagers - 8% of those aged 14 and 15 said they never drank in 2010, but that figure is now at 33%.

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