There’s been a string of stories in Norwegian media lately about rising concern over today’s youth. Instead of being left-wing radicals, however, today’s youthful rebellion involves conservative values, smoking and even more use of perfume.
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported this week that Norway’s national cancer association (Kreftforeningen) is “shocked” over new statistics showing that the numbers of young men who smoke have nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Fully 25 percent of men aged 16-24 now smoke regularly after years of decline.
Smoking has become common again at parties, as has renewed use of perfume by both young women and men, reports NRK. Most of the smoking, though, is done outdoors. Authorities are worried that since smoking was all but snuffed out in Norway years ago by its prohibition in public places, the youth haven’t been exposed to enough anti-smoking campaigns.
Newspaper Dagsavisen was also editorializing this week against “reactionary youth” including some in the Center Party, now led by a young man who presented himself on national radio this week as being “sick and tired” of climate concerns and left-wing rivals. Nils Forren argued that climate policy “doesn’t function,” opting to instead promote more oil and coal operations along with highly controversial undersea mining. Some of his views mirror other new statistics that have shown youth riding a new conservative wave in Norwegian politics.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
