Cigarette smoking doubles among 10th-graders

Cigarette smoking among 10th-graders rose from 2.3 per cent in 2024 to 4.6 per cent in 2026, according to results from the Icelandic Youth Survey reported by mbl.is. The share who had tried cannabis also increased, from 5.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

The increases appear to be driven mainly by greater use among boys, the survey results indicate.

The survey was presented on Monday and conducted among students in grades 4 to 10 at schools across the country in spring 2026. A total of 23,881 students from 153 schools took part. The overall response rate was 71.7 per cent, rising to 82.4 per cent within participating schools.

The findings do not point to a general rise in substance use among students in grades 9 and 10. Since 2022, use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, as well as alcohol consumption, has generally declined.

Among 10th-graders, the share who had consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days fell from 13.4 per cent in 2022 to 9.1 per cent in 2026. The share who had ever been drunk dropped from 13.6 per cent to 8.8 per cent. E-cigarette use declined from 14 per cent to 10 per cent over the same period.