Montreal, November 25, 2024. – The Institut de la statistique du Québec released today the first results from the Québec Health Survey of High School Students 2022‒2023. This large-scale survey was conducted among 70,825 young people attending 483 French and English, public and private schools across Québec. Now in its third edition, this study first conducted in 2010–2011 enables us to track changes in young people’s health.
Fewer young people are consuming alcohol and cannabis
The proportion of students who consumed alcohol in the 12 months preceding the survey declined from 60% in 2010–2011 to 47% in 2022–2023. The proportion of students who consumed alcohol excessively in the 12 months preceding the survey also dropped, from 41% in 2010–2011 to 29% in 2022–2023.
The proportion of young people who consumed cannabis dropped from 25% in 2010–2011 to 16% in 2022–2023.
Girls were proportionally more likely than boys to have consumed alcohol in the year preceding the survey, to have done so excessively, and to have used cannabis in 2022–2023.
Cigarettes lose ground to electronic cigarettes
Between 2010–2011 and 2022–2023, the proportion of students who smoked cigarettes declined from 11% to 2.3%. In contrast, the proportion of young people who used electronic cigarettes in the 30 days preceding the survey increased from 11% in 2016–2017 to 16% in 2022–2023. This study first collected data on vaping in its 2016–2017 edition.
More girls than boys vaped in 2022–2023 (19% vs. 13%). Most students (96%) who used electronic cigarettes in the 30 days preceding the survey used an electronic cigarette that contained nicotine.
Less sugary drinks and junk food, but also less fruit
The proportion of young people who consume sugary drinks on a daily basis has declined: nearly one in four students (27%) consumed at least one per day in 2016–2017, compared to one in five (19%) in 2022–2023. Over that same period, the proportion of students who drank at least four glasses of water per day increased by four percentage points to 46% in 2022–2023.
In 2022–2023, the proportion of young people who ate fruit and vegetables fell, as did the proportion of students who consumed junk food:
- 25% of students consumed 5 or more servings of fruit or vegetables daily, compared with 31% in 2010–2011.
- 37% of students consumed junk food from a restaurant or snack bar for lunch at least once in the school week preceding the survey, compared with 46% in 2010–2011.
Around one quarter of high school students skip breakfast
Nearly 26% of high school students did not consume any food or drinks in the morning before class during the school week preceding the survey. This proportion was higher among girls (32%) than boys (21%), and has more than doubled since 2010–2011 (11%).
One quarter of high school students were inactive
Nearly 23% of students did not engage in any active recreation or transportation during the school year in 2022–2023, an increase over 2016–2017 (20%). More girls than boys did not take part in active recreation or transportation (27% vs. 20%).
Fewer young people felt they were in excellent or very good health
After rising slightly between 2010–2011 and 2016–2017, the proportion of students who believed they were in excellent or very good health fell in 2022–2023:
- 2010–2011: 71%
- 2016–2017: 72%
- 2022–2023: 62%
In 2022–2023, fewer girls than boys considered their health to be very good or excellent (54% vs. 70%).
Upcoming releases
November 27:
Mental health, social support and relationships among high school students Sleep, screen time, personal and social skills, social support, self-esteem, sexual relations, dating violence.
November 29:
High school students at work and in school
Number of hours worked, workplaces, workplace injuries, school engagement and risk of dropping out.
December 3:
Release of the full detailed report
Results by grade level, by certain socio-economic characteristics and by social and family environment characteristics.
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For 25 years, the Institut de la statistique du Québec has been producing, analyzing, and disseminating official, objective and high-quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and an essential source of information for all those wishing to learn more about Québec.