UNICEF

Committee Description

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund was established on December 11, 1946 in the
aftermath of World War II. After 1950 the fund directed its efforts toward general programs for
the long term improvement of children and women’s welfare, particularly in less-developed
countries and in various emergency situations. Today, UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations
General Assembly to advocate for children's rights, to help meet their basic needs to expand their
opportunities to reach their full potential.

Working in over 190 countries and territories, UNICEF mobilises political will and material
resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and
to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their
families. UNICEF’s vast mandate covers children’s issues on a holistic level ranging from
nutrition, education to health, safety and protection of children. In coordination with United
Nations partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response
available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care.
Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF strives to establish children's rights
as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.
Topic - Impact of socioeconomic factors on child substance abuse

Introduction and scope

Substance abuse (SA) among children is a recognized challenge for policymakers and law
enforcement and has life-threatening consequences owing to the impact on the children's
development and the consequent increase in vulnerability. Numerous adverse consequences are
linked to substance use by children, not least of which is the increased risk of dependence among
those who began smoking, drinking, and using substances before 18 years of age. Furthermore,
most adults with substance use disorder (SUD) initiated use during childhood. Socioeconomic
status (SES) is a multidimensional construct comprising multiple factors, such as income,
education, employment status, and other factors. SES reflects quality-of-life attributes and
opportunities afforded to people within society and is a consistent predictor of a vast array of
psychological outcomes.

Substance use among adolescents

remains a crucial public health
issue, as it is associated with
negative health, behavioural,
economic and social outcomes in
the short, medium and long terms.
These include psychological and
physical health consequences,
unhealthy dieting patterns, poorer
academic outcomes, violence and
injury, accidents, and negative
influences on cognitive, emotional
and social development. These statistics are alarming as the consequences are costly for them and
society. During the process of growing from children to adults, adolescents may make choices that
could put their health and well-being at risk. Engaging in high-risk behaviours during the
adolescent years can shape adult behaviour, with substance use at an early age being linked to a
higher risk of addiction.

Topic breakdown

The global substance abuse (SA) problem is a serious threat to public health and the safety of
children. Initiation of SA at an early age has been associated with long-term physical, behavioural,
social, and health risks. In addition, the recreational use of drugs is an under-recognized cause of
mortality and morbidity in children. It is currently a public health priority. Young people are very
sensitive to nicotine and other drug addictions as their brains are still developing, making it easier
for them to get hooked.

The relationship between childhood SES and behavioural health in adulthood has long been of
interest to researchers and policymakers. Socioeconomic differences in substance use varied by
substance type. Cigarette smoking showed higher prevalence among adolescents from low-
affluence families, while e-cigarette use, alcohol consumption and drunkenness were more
prevalent among high-affluence adolescents. A few studies have found that adolescents with low
SES have a greater propensity toward substance use during adolescence. Cigarette smoking
showed a slightly higher prevalence among adolescents from less affluent families, which was
found to be statistically significant for both genders in Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Luxembourg
and Poland for lifetime use and in Canada, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Iceland and Slovakia for
current use. E-cigarette use (especially lifetime use in boys), alcohol consumption and drunkenness
were more prevalent among adolescents from high-affluence families. Canada was the only
exception in terms of lifetime e-cigarette and cannabis use, showing a significantly higher
prevalence for both boys and girls from families with more disadvantaged socioeconomic status.

Despite declines in the use of substances (such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking) in
recent years, some data suggest that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may
have caused a new increase in use. For example, the use of electronic cigarettes (commonly called
vapes) has increased globally, a trend that is notably prominent among adolescents, in no small
part due to their exposure to online environments that promote e-cigarettes through targeted
advertising. More than one in six adolescents reported having used an e-cigarette at least once in
their life, and 10% had done so in the last 30 days.
Although boys have consistently reported higher levels of substance use than girls in the past, data
from the most recent surveys on adolescent risk behaviours suggest gender convergence in many
countries and regions and for almost all substances, similar to what has happened with cigarette
smoking over the past two decades. The countries and regions with the highest current substance
use among 15-year-olds were Denmark (Greenland) for cigarette smoking (37% in boys and 52%
in girls), Lithuania for e-cigarette use (about 35% in both genders), Denmark for alcohol
consumption and drunkenness in the past 30 days (about 70% and 34% respectively in both
genders), and for cannabis use, Bulgaria for boys (19%) and Canada for girls (15%).

The prevalence of cannabis use varied substantially across countries and regions. The highest
lifetime prevalence for boys was seen in the United Kingdom (Scotland) (23%) and Poland (22%),
and for girls in Canada (25%) and Italy (22%). In contrast, Tajikistan showed the lowest prevalence
for both boys and girls (under 1%). The overall prevalence of lifetime use decreased slightly
between 2018 and 2022, from 14% to 12%, but current use remained stable at 7%. Lifetime
cannabis use was slightly more common in adolescents from high- and low-affluence families than
in those with medium affluence although this trend was not consistent across countries and regions.
Among 11-year-olds, 18% of boys and 13% of girls reported drinking alcohol in their lifetime and
8% of boys and 5% of girls reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past 30 days.
Prevalence was 33% for 13-year-olds and 57% for 15-year-olds (56% for boys and 59% for girls).

1. Economic status

Children’s quality of life heavily depends on the economic status of their family classifying into
the 2 extremes of low affluence families and high affluence families. Low affluence families may
have lower income, unemployed parents, or even be in poverty along with no resources and limited
opportunities for children. This creates an environment for children to be prone to be vulnerable
to getting engaged with substances. Especially when living in an economically disadvantaged
neighbourhood, substance dealers are most likely to approach the most vulnerable stakeholders
which are children. Meanwhile, highly affluent families typically have greater financial resources,
making it easier for children to obtain drugs and alcohol. Parents in high affluent families may
have demanding careers that result in less supervision and more autonomy for their children,
increasing opportunities for substance use.
2. Education

Children who do not have adequate opportunities for education and does not attend school are not
occupied with recreational activities as other children their age would be. Hence, they are not
stimulated by learning activities that involve decision making and critical thinking skills. When
children do not have the knowledge and awareness on the severity of the issue and the harmful
effects of substance abuse they may be unable to recognize and resist peer pressure to engage in
substance use, as they do not understand the potential negative outcomes. Moreover, they also lack
support provided by responsible adults and resort to negative adult influence. Schools most often
provide access to counselling, mental health services, and substance abuse prevention programs,
offering support to children and families in need. On the opposite spectrum children from affluent
families often face immense pressure to excel academically, participate in numerous
extracurricular activities, and maintain a high social status. This pressure can lead to stress,
anxiety, and a higher likelihood of using substances to cope.
The above chart depicts the percentage of exposure to substance use prevention messages in the
year 2015 among adolescents aged 12 to 17, by age group. Only adolescents who were enrolled in
school at the time of the interview were included in the estimates of exposure to prevention
messages from school-based sources. We can clearly see how there's a significant gap between the
programmes offered in and outside of school therefore proving that children who do not have
educational opportunities are excluded from the awareness and prevention attempts.

3. Family and community

Children’s family and inner circle which includes their immediate community and neighbourhood
plays an important role in shaping their behavioural attitudes. Children often learn by visually
observing other people since a very young age, hence if they are influenced by parents who might
be using substances, or involves a family history of substance abuse, or living in a neighbourhood
that has high violence and crime rates, or any other peer or mutual who is using substances, those
children are at a high risk as it increases their curiosity and vulnerability. This exposure to
substance use can normalise and encourage experimentation with drugs or alcohol, making it more
socially acceptable which increases the availability and accessibility of substances within the
community. Parents who don't allow children to express their thoughts, concerns, and emotions,
increases the likelihood of turning to substance use as a coping mechanism for unresolved issues
as well.
4. Psychosocial stress

Children who experience trauma, abuse, or other adverse childhood experiences, as well as
develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leading to intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and
hypervigilance are at higher risk of using substances as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional
pain or distress. Children who might be neglected by parents, or put through a lot of domestic
stress may use substances as a short term solution for anxiety, depression or as a form of self-
medication to alleviate symptoms and cope with overwhelming emotions. They may also
experience chronic stress or adversity, develop low self-esteem, social pressure or social isolation,
leading to feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness that drive them to seek validation or relief
through substance use.

Research Questions
 1. How efficient are authorities in holding children accountable for SA related crimes?
2. What are some effective and accessible communication campaigns regarding child
substance abuse?
3. How does the stigma surrounding substance abuse affect children when asking for help?
4. What is the impact of Covid-19 on the spike of substance use among children?
5. What is the role of online environments and platforms in marketing, advertising, and
promotion of substances?
6. What are some effective interventions for countries and regions to prevent and discourage
the use of all substances, licit and illicit, among children?
7. Can effective school-based policies and programmes prevent child substance abuse?
8. What are some effective ways of monitoring and enforcement in regards to child substance
abuse?
9. What comprehensive actions can be taken alongside strong referral pathways, taking
account of specific cultural needs, and gender, age and income disparities among children?
10. What implications does child SA have on these childrens young adulthood and adulthood?

Bibliography

1. https://www.unicef.org/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0929693X20302050
3. https://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1747-597X-5-
19#citeas
4. https://data-browser.hbsc.org
5. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289060936
6. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3380/ShortReport-3380.html
7. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/CBHSQ128_1/CBHSQ128/sr128-
typical-day-adolescents-2013.htm