A new study has found that school party culture in Norway is playing a significant role in adolescent cocaine use, with students at certain schools far more likely to experiment with the drug than their peers. The findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, suggest that the intense social environment surrounding high school graduation celebrations is contributing to a rise in drug use among young people.
Lars Roar Frøyland, PhD, a senior researcher at Oslo Metropolitan University, said: “The study was motivated by statistics showing increasing levels of cocaine use among young people in Norway and voiced concerns about hard partying, extensive intoxication, and liberal substance use norms in some youth milieus associated with the Norwegian senior high school graduation tradition. We aimed to assess whether these concerns were ‘just concerns’ or were backed by empirical data as well.”
The study used a statistical approach known as cross-classified multilevel modelling to assess the impact of both school and neighbourhood contexts. It found that 10.6% of the variance in adolescent cocaine use could be attributed to the school environment, while the role of neighbourhoods was minimal. This suggests that peer influence and school culture are stronger determinants of drug use than socioeconomic background or residential location.
Boys were found to be at higher risk of cocaine use, particularly those who engage in heavy drinking. The study also highlighted the strong link between alcohol intoxication and drug experimentation. Students who frequently drank alcohol were far more likely to report using cocaine, reinforcing concerns that binge drinking is a gateway to harder substances.
“Almost one in ten senior high school students reported past-year cocaine use. Isolated, this number is not very alarming. However, we also found elevated levels of cocaine use among boys in certain youth milieus characterised by heavy drinking and permissive attitudes towards hanging out with peers who use illicit substances, particularly in schools with established traditions for heavy engagement with the senior high school graduation tradition,” Frøyland stated. “We hypothesise that similar mechanisms may be at play in comparable social environments in other countries as well.”
The role of peer groups was another critical factor. Teenagers with friends who used illicit drugs were at a much higher risk of engaging in cocaine use themselves. This social contagion effect suggests that once a drug culture is established within a school or specific friendship groups, it can rapidly spread among students.
The findings have raised concerns among policymakers and educators about how to curb the influence of party culture on adolescent drug use. Some experts have suggested stricter regulations on the extravagant celebrations, including banning the use of party buses or limiting their presence near schools. Others have called for greater parental involvement and earlier interventions to educate young people on the risks of substance use.
The study also questions whether current drug prevention strategies are adequately addressing the realities of teenage social life. Traditional prevention measures have focused on neighbourhoods and family backgrounds, but the research suggests that school-based initiatives targeting peer culture may be more effective. Educators and policymakers may need to reconsider their approach to tackling drug use among students, focusing more on the social settings where these behaviours emerge.
Frøyland indicated that the research on this topic will continue. “We aim to continue working on this topic in the coming years, using both survey data like those used in this study and an established qualitative database consisting of more than 130 individual interviews with Norwegian senior high school students on topics such as sexuality and substance use.”
Norway has some of Europe’s strictest drug laws, yet cocaine use among teenagers continues to rise. The study provides new insights into why some adolescents are more vulnerable to drug use than others, pointing to the need for more targeted interventions within schools. Without action, the combination of heavy drinking, intense party culture, and peer influence could see cocaine use among young Norwegians continue to increase.
