Substance use among European 15-16-year-olds is continuing its ‘long-term decline’ but there are growing concerns over ‘new behavioural and health risks’, according to the latest findings from the European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs (ESPAD).
These include increasing e-cigarette use, non-medical use of prescription drugs and a ‘sharp uptick’ in online gambling, the report says. Almost 114,000 young people across 37 countries participated in the survey, which is based on anonymous online questionnaires.
While fewer European teens are drinking alcohol or smoking traditional cigarettes, e-cigarette use is on the rise, the report states. Lifetime alcohol use among 15-16-year-olds stood at just under 90 per cent 30 years ago but has now fallen to 74 per cent, while use in the last 30 days fell from 55 to 43 per cent. Reported binge drinking in the last 30 days also fell to its lowest rate, at 30 per cent.
However, current e-cigarette use is up from 14 to 22 per cent since 2019, with more girls reporting lifetime use than boys – 46 compared to 41 per cent. Around one in eight school students reported ever having used an illegal drug, with lifetime prevalence falling from 19 to 14 per cent over the last decade. Lifetime use of cannabis has fallen to 12 per cent, while 3 per cent of students report having used NPS. Reported use of amphetamines, MDMA, cocaine and LSD were all around 1 to 2 per cent.
Non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs was a ‘growing concern’, however, with lifetime use now at 14 per cent. This was more common among girls (16 per cent, compared to boys’ 11 per cent) with tranquilisers and sedatives the drugs most frequently misused. ‘The perceived ease of obtaining these substances — one in five students say tranquillisers are easy to access — underscores the need for targeted prevention and monitoring of prescription drug misuse among teens,’ says the report. Online gambling rates, meanwhile, have almost doubled in the last five years, to 14 per cent.
‘Despite long-term declines in substance use, emerging trends raise new concerns,’ says the document. ‘Cigarette smoking has decreased markedly over the past decades, with lifetime prevalence halving over the period 1995–2024. Early initiation persists, however, particularly among girls, whose daily smoking rates at age 13 or younger have increased in recent years. Meanwhile, e‑cigarette use has risen sharply among adolescents, with rising rates of early initiation and daily consumption, fuelling concerns over the dual use of traditional and electronic cigarettes and reflecting a broader shift toward alternative nicotine products.
Alcohol consumption has also declined over time, with overall use and binge drinking decreasing. However, this reduction is more pronounced among boys, with girls showing a more stable trend. Despite this progress, alcohol remains widely accessible, and early initiation and heavy episodic drinking remain significant concerns in some regions.’
European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD): 30 years available here