Reykjavik moves to revive Iceland’s youth prevention model
Saturday 3rd October 2026 on 12:31 in
Iceland
Reykjavik City has signed an agreement of intent to revive Iceland’s prevention model, with the first phase set to begin in the city’s primary schools this autumn, according to an opinion column by Hildur Björnsdóttir published by mbl.is.
The model will be rolled out in stages, with the aim of having it fully underway in the 2027-2028 school year. The city signed the agreement with Rannsóknir og greining, a research organisation.
Björnsdóttir says Iceland gained international attention for its prevention work after researchers, municipalities, schools, parents, youth groups and sports organisations joined forces about 25 years ago. In 1998, 42% of students in 10th grade had experienced being drunk. By 2016, the figure had fallen to about 5%. The Icelandic prevention model is now used as an example in prevention work internationally, she writes.
But she warns that progress is not guaranteed. Reports of rising alcohol use among young people, a sharp increase in nicotine pouch use and increasingly young children turning to harder drugs are reasons to act, she says.
The model gathers regular data on young people’s circumstances and wellbeing in the city’s neighbourhoods. Results are then shared promptly with schools, parents, youth centres and sports clubs, which set goals, take action and monitor progress. The process is then repeated, allowing decisions to be based on data, Björnsdóttir writes.
She argues that prevention should focus not on bans and restrictions but on creating conditions in which young people can thrive. Organised sports and leisure activities, time with family and trusted relationships with adults are among the important protective factors in children’s lives, she says, adding that all children should have access to them.
Adolescence is a formative period, and research shows that delaying alcohol and other drug use is beneficial, according to the column. Björnsdóttir says the goal is to give young people room to grow and make informed decisions about their lives.
She describes renewing the prevention model as an important step towards improving children’s and young people’s wellbeing, and says success depends on the community working together.