The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently released an updated report on health and health care development worldwide. American youngsters, according to the report, drink and smoke less than their foreign counterparts.
About one in five American 15-year-olds reports having been drunk at least twice, compared to nearly one in three 15-year-olds across the OECD (Click here to see a map of the legal drinking age around the world):
Source: O.E.C.D.; Currie et al. (2008).
As for smoking, about 17 percent (almost one in six) of 15-year-olds throughout the OECD reports smoking at least once a week, as opposed to about 8 percent (almost one in 13) of Americans at the same age. (Click here to see the minimum age that minors can buy and smoke tobacco around the world):
Source: O.E.C.D.; Currie et al. (2008).
Obesity is where the picture gets ugly for Americans. American children are the fattest among all OECD nations, by a wide margin:
Source: O.E.C.D.; Currie et al. (2004, 2008).
Bevan Sabo
Ariel Goldring
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