A family counseling organization in Iceland is appealing for more resources from the state to combat the growing opioid use among young people, which is now being compared to the situation in the U.S.
The family counseling organization Foreldrahús in Iceland needs more resources to combat the growing opioid crisis among young people, according to executive director Berglind Gunnarsdóttir Strandberg. She has made a request to the budget committee to include around ISK 127 million per year in the budget for this purpose, as demand for the organization’s services has skyrocketed.
Foreldrahús offers a range of services, including family counseling, parenting courses and various forms of support for young people with substance abuse problems.
According to Strandberg, the extent of opioid use among young people in Iceland is comparable to the situation in the United States and she stresses that this crisis requires immediate action.
– According to reliable information, over 30 young people have died this year alone, she said, according to state broadcaster RUV.
Minister of Health Willum Þór Þórsson also presented proposals for measures against opioid addiction, especially among young people in the country, earlier this year, mentioning that Foreldrahús, among others, should be strengthened.
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The US command ship USS Mount Whitney, often referred to as a “floating Pentagon” due to its advanced command systems, has docked at Frihamnen port in Stockholm, Sweden.
The visit marks the conclusion of a month-long mission in the Baltic Sea where the vessel played a leading role in the extensive NATO exercise Baltops, working alongside Swedish personnel among others.
The vessel serves as the flagship of the US Sixth Fleet and is designed to command complex and extensive military operations. At 200 meters in length, it is equipped with advanced communication and command systems that make it a hub for US naval operations.
– We usually call it a floating Pentagon because our main strength lies in communication and command systems, says Jonathan Desimone, Command Systems Officer aboard, to Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
During the recently concluded Baltops, an annual NATO-led exercise in the Baltic Sea, USS Mount Whitney played a key role. The Swedish Navy participated with a submarine, among other assets, and several Swedish liaison officers were aboard as part of the NATO staffing.
– We had several Swedish liaison officers aboard throughout the exercise as part of the NATO staffing, says Commander and Captain Colin Price.
– We are here to participate in Baltops 2025 and to demonstrate US presence. Our goal as a naval force is freedom of navigation and regional stability, he further states.
— US Embassy in Sweden (@usembsweden) July 1, 2025
No plans to leave Europe
Price emphasizes the value of the exercise and multinational NATO cooperation – but critics suggest the ship’s visible presence in Stockholm could also be interpreted as a show of force directed at Russia, rather than a purely diplomatic visit.
Meanwhile, the Baltic Sea has been characterized by increased military activity, with both NATO and Russia conducting parallel exercises. During Baltops, Russian fighter aircraft were observed flying near USS Mount Whitney in international airspace.
– I wouldn’t call them incidents, but yes, we had interactions with aircraft flying near Mount Whitney, Price comments and explains:
– During Baltops, we’re in the middle of the Baltic Sea and it’s international airspace where aircraft can fly wherever they want.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, there have been reports and signals suggesting that the US plans to significantly reduce its military presence in Europe. However, according to the commander, there are no such plans for USS Mount Whitney.
An unprecedented low number of children are being born in Sweden, and the reasons are said to be numerous – from war, climate alarmism, and economic anxiety to fear of childbirth.
Mother of four Anna Björklund argues that rapid digitalization and increased screen time have had a major impact and describes how children today are often perceived as an annoying disturbance that many would rather avoid.
The Swedish government recently announced the formation of an expert group to investigate why birth rates are declining and whether this trend can be reversed. The work is based on a similar study recently conducted in Finland.
One of the group’s members is mother of four, podcaster, and author Anna Björklund, and on Swedish public television SVT, she highlights digitalization as a possible key factor.
– Personally, I believe one piece of the puzzle is that we who are having children now, or should be having children now, are the first generation that grew up with the internet.
“Demanding presence”
Björklund is uncertain whether the trend can be reversed but sees possibilities to influence the development. She describes how children today are often perceived as demanding – not necessarily because of the children themselves, but because adults are not present.
– I’ve noticed that people see children as very annoying. That they talk about children as very troublesome, and when I tell people I have many children, they say it sounds exhausting. What they mean is that children demand presence in the room, and if you don’t respond to the subtle animal-like signals from a baby, it will scream.
– When parents have so many things competing for their attention and causing them not to be present in the room, children are perceived as very difficult. Then the question is, should the children be removed, or should humans as a species learn again to be present in the room? Personally, I think perhaps the latter, she says.
Constant browsing on smartphones has made us less present in the moment. Photo: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash
In Finland, where birth rates have also fallen to record low levels, a government study has recently analyzed the causes of declining childbirth. Anna Rotkirch, research professor and director of the Population Research Institute in Finland, particularly points to the difficulty of finding the right partner on public television.
– This is a new trend, young adults’ relationships don’t last nearly as long as they did for previous generations, she explains.
Rotkirch also emphasizes digitalization as a possible explanation for the changing relationships.
– It’s difficult to see anything else that would have changed globally over the past 15 years when we see this unexpectedly strong decline in fertility.
“Deteriorates young women’s mental health”
The population researcher emphasizes that more research is needed to understand the full impact of digitalization on birth rates. But there are already clear signs that screen time and social media have negative effects – particularly on young women’s mental health.
– We know that social media in particular has deteriorated young women’s mental health, and we know that mental health problems and loneliness make it much harder to find a partner and start a family, she says and adds:
– It also affects the quality of relationships. We know that screen time itself, regardless of what you do on the device, makes you less satisfied with your relationship and increases the risk of divorce.
According to Animal Rights Sweden (Djurens Rätt), Sweden is now completely free from caged hens – despite the absence of a legal ban.
This is shown by statistics compiled by the animal rights organization from Swedish county administrative boards and the egg industry. The organization describes it as a breakthrough after more than 50 years of work against cage farming and claims a significant part of the credit for this development.
– Sweden being cage-free is enormously important for the hens – and a victory for all who have stood by their side. Animal Rights Sweden’s members have shown that change is possible, even when politics fails,says Benny Andersson, Secretary General of Animal Rights Sweden.
According to the organization, Sweden is the first country in the world to eliminate caged hen farming without an explicit legal prohibition.
“Advocacy work makes a difference”
Opposition to cage farming began in the 1970s. In 1988, the Swedish Parliament decided to ban cages, but when the ten-year transition period expired, cage farming remained – and the law was changed. According to Animal Rights Sweden, this led to an intensification of their work.
The organization highlights reports such as “The Hen or the Egg” (2009) and “Release the Cages” (2022), along with recurring information campaigns and corporate dialogues. Another important step was the “Animal-Friendly Municipality” initiative, where all Swedish municipalities eventually opted out of caged eggs in public procurement.
Since 2008, over 85 companies in Sweden – including grocery chains, hotels, and restaurants – have rejected cage farming after discussions with the organization. According to Animal Rights Sweden, this has been crucial for the development. They estimate that at least 17 million hens have avoided a life in cages since then.
– It’s the committed animal friends around Sweden who have brought this to shore. We have influenced companies, municipalities, and run campaigns without giving up. This is clear proof that long-term and persistent advocacy work makes a difference, says Benny Andersson.
“Sweden must take the next step”
In parallel, Animal Rights Sweden has been involved in the EU’s work to phase out cage farming. The organization has collected over 50,000 signatures for the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age”. A legislative proposal was expected in 2023 but has been postponed to 2026.
Even though cages are practically gone in Sweden, Animal Rights Sweden argues that the work is not finished.
– We have seen fantastic development, but now Sweden must take the next step. Animal Rights Sweden demands an immediate legal ban on cage farming. There’s nothing to wait for now, urges Benny Andersson.
Despite the empty cages, many critics argue that Swedish hens still live under substandard conditions – for example, in crowded barns with thousands of individuals, where access to outdoor areas is often completely lacking.
1988 – A new Swedish animal welfare law promises to ban cage housing. At this time, 95 percent of Sweden's laying hens are kept in conventional battery cages.
1997–2005 – The promised cage ban is withdrawn. Only conventional battery cages are banned. Egg labeling is introduced to allow consumers to opt out of cage eggs.
2008 – Djurens Rätt (Animal Rights Sweden) launches its first major corporate campaign against cage eggs. Hemköp, a Swedish grocery chain, becomes the first to take a stand. At this time, 40 percent of hens are kept in cages.
2013–2017 – Several major Swedish grocery chains, including Coop, Willys, Lidl, Netto, and City Gross, stop selling cage eggs. The proportion of caged hens drops rapidly.
2017 – Djurens Rätt expands its work to include private label products in retail chains. The proportion of caged hens decreases to 13 percent during this period.
2019 – After dialogue with Djurens Rätt, Sweden's three largest wholesalers adopt policies against cage eggs. The "Free the Cages" campaign is launched. The proportion of caged hens drops to 8 percent.
2020–2021 – The EU Commission promises to implement a ban on cage farming, following the End the Cage Age citizens' initiative, where Djurens Rätt was a driving force.
2021 – After a 13-year campaign, ICA (Sweden's largest grocery retailer) says no to cage eggs. 95 percent of Swedish municipalities have also opted out of cage eggs in public procurement. Only 3.5 percent of hens are now kept in cages.
2024–2025 – The wholesaler Martin & Servera completes its phase-out of cage eggs. In total, over 85 companies have adopted policies after dialogue with Djurens Rätt. Less than 1 percent of hens are kept in cages.
2025 – Djurens Rätt receives official confirmation: All cages in Sweden are now empty.
Even during periods of economic prosperity, few Swedes choose to have children. This trend continues despite Sweden's internationally recognized comprehensive social welfare system and generous parental benefits.
Birth rates in Sweden have reached historically low levels. During 2023, the average was 1.43 children per woman – the lowest figure ever recorded. Now the Swedish government is launching an investigation to understand why fewer people want to start families.
– The state needs to consider factors that create barriers to having children, such as housing, economy, gender equality, and work-life balance, said Swedish Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed (Christian Democrats) at a press conference on Monday.
If this trend continues, each new generation will be approximately 30 percent smaller than the previous one. This poses significant consequences for the labor market and welfare system when fewer working-age individuals must support a growing elderly population.
– Having children should be a personal choice, but it affects society at large, noted Forssmed, who also identified modern dating culture as one of the culprits.
– There are indications that relationships formed through dating apps are generally more short-lived and therefore less likely to lead to family formation.
During 2023, 95,800 children were born in Sweden – a decrease of 1,600 compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Sweden. The decline is visible across all regions and social groups.
Low birth rates despite economic boom
Historically, birth rates have often followed economic cycles, but this correlation has broken down. Despite strong economic growth during the 2010s and a parental benefits system that is both generous and well-functioning by international standards, birth rates have continued to decline.
– Birth rates are decreasing despite Sweden experiencing an economic boom and having a largely well-functioning preschool system and generous parental leave, says Forssmed.
The Swedish government now wants to identify other factors that may be causing young people to refrain from having children. According to research cited by Forssmed, today one in four young women hesitates to become a parent – a sharp increase compared to ten years ago when the figure was one in ten.
One partial explanation highlighted by the Social Affairs Minister is the challenging and, for many, inaccessible Swedish housing market.
– For many, the dream of owning a house is delayed or remains unfulfilled.
Mental health and existential crises
The government also wants to examine more existential factors: how concerns about the future, mental health issues, and feelings of meaningfulness affect views on parenthood.
– We know that many young people seek psychiatric care and many report that life lacks meaning. It’s difficult to envision caring for children when it’s challenging to take care of your own well-being, Forssmed continued.
The task of leading the government investigation has been assigned to Åsa Hansson, Associate Professor of Economics. The reference group includes Anna Björklund, author of “Kvinnomanualen” (The Woman’s Manual), and Micael Dahlén, Professor of Happiness and Well-being at the Stockholm School of Economics.
