Adults aged 15–74 in Switzerland living in households with children engaging in heavy substance use; Children's development at risk.

Adults aged 15–74 in Switzerland living in households with children engaging in heavy substance use; Children’s development at risk.

Heavy substance consumption among people living in households with children | MonAM | FOPH

Heavy substance consumption among people living in households with children

In 2022, 25.3% of people aged 15 to 74 in Switzerland who lived in households with one or more children engaged in heavy substance use. This may be a parent, an older sibling, or another person living in the same household. This proportion decreased compared with 2017 (28.9%). In 2022, 12.3% of people (aged 15 to 74) in households with children engaged in heavy alcohol consumption and 15.2% in daily tobacco use.

Across all substances, men are more likely to engage in heavy substance use than women.

This indicator is part of the Monitoring System Addiction and NCD (MonAM) of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Children’s physical and emotional development can be affected by heavy substance use in parents, siblings or other people living in the same household. Children from families with heavy substance use are therefore a key target group for prevention and support interventions.

Studies show that children from families where the parents engage in heavy substance use have a higher risk of developing an addiction problem themselves when they are adults. Attitudes and behaviours on the use of addictive substances are largely passed on by parents to their children through shared family life (parents as role models). Genetic factors can also result in certain families being more likely to engage in heavy substance use (Hümbelin et al., 2020).

The harms to children vary widely, depending on the substance consumed by the close household member. The figures for different substances should be compared with caution. Due to the sample and survey design, the reported figures should not be interpreted as a proportion of affected children or households. They refer to the people surveyed in households with children. The proportion of children affected in Switzerland is therefore probably underestimated. Nonetheless, comparisons of substances, sociodemographic groups and over time indicate important differences in the potential harms to children caused by heavy substance use in households and how they have evolved over time.

This indicator was calculated on the basis of data from the Swiss Health Survey (SHS, n 2022 ≈ 22 000) and is updated every five years.

It shows the share of people aged 15 to 74 living in a private household with at least one child aged 15 or under and engaging in heavy substance consumption. This may be a parent, an older sibling, or another person aged between 15 and 74 living in the same household.

S ubstance use is considered heavy if at least one of the following behaviours is reported:

Federal Statistical Office (FSO): Swiss Health Survey (in German, French, or Italian)

Hümbelin, O. et al. (2020). Kinder aus Familien mit risikoreichem Substanzkonsum. Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern: Study (in German).

Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH): Problematic Alcohol Use (in German, French, or Italian)

Children from families with heavy substance consumption (2020). Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), Bern: Factsheet (in German , French , or Italian ).

Klein, M. et al. (2017). Kinder aus suchtbelasteten Familien. Federal Ministry of Health, Berlin: Publication (in German).

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH Tel. +41 58 462 95 05 media@bag.admin.ch

Tel. +41 58 463 60 45 obsan@bfs.admin.ch https:

FOPH & Obsan ( 2026 ). Heavy substance consumption among people living in households with children ( MonAM indicator ). https:

Consumption of illegal substances (excluding cannabis; age: 15–64)

Episodic heavy alcohol consumption (age: 15+)

Chronic heavy alcohol consumption (age: 15+)

MonAM is a cooperation project between the FOPH and the Obsan.