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Drug situation

Studies of youth and the schools population

The aim of youth surveys is to obtain comparable and reliable information on: the extent and pattern of consumption of different drugs among school and youth populations; the characteristics and behaviours of users; and the attitudes of different young people towards drug use. Data presented in the schools survey tables are derived mainly from the ESPAD schools survey project and the HBSC (WHO) Schools Survey – Health behaviour in school-aged children.

Overview | Methods and definitions | Tables | Figures | All statistics

Drug trends in youth

Overview

  • Table EYE-0 lists all bibliographic references and data sources.
  • Table EYE-1 presents data on lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use among students aged 15–16 years old, as self-reported in the latest available surveys (2003–06).
  • Table EYE-2 presents data on lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use and last month prevalence of cannabis among students aged 17–18 years old, as self-reported in the latest available surveys (2003–06).
  • Table EYE-3 presents data on lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use among students aged 15–16 years old, as self-reported in all available national surveys dating back to 1994.
  • Tables EYE-4, EYE-5, EYE-6 and EYE-7 present data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). All data is on students aged 15–16 years. This survey is carried out in almost all EU countries at four-year intervals. For more methodological details, please see Methods and definitions — Schools surveys and www.espad.org.
  • Tables EYE-4 presents data on lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use in 2003: part i in all students, part ii in males and part iii in females.
  • Tables EYE-5 presents data on cannabis use — lifetime, last year and last month prevalence: part i in all students, part ii in males and part iii in females.
  • Table EYE-6 presents data on lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use from all ESPAD surveys (1995, 1999 and 2003): part i in all students, part ii in males and part iii in females.
  • Table EYE-7 presents data specifically on cannabis use from all ESPAD surveys (1995, 1999 and 2003), including data in three different time windows, on intensive use of cannabis in lifetime (use of 40 or more times), early initiation (first use at age 13 or before) and perceived availability: part i in all students, while part ii for males and part iii for females.
  • Table EYE-8 presents data based on HBSC (WHO) school surveys in 2005/6: percentage lifetime prevalence of cannabis use among students aged 15-and-a- half years old, by gender.
  • Table EYE-9 presents data based on HBSC (WHO) school surveys in 2005/6: percentage prevalence for different types of cannabis use among students aged 15-and-a half years old. The groups covered are: discontinued users — those who have used cannabis at least once in their lifetime but not within the past 30 days or within the past 12 months; experimenters — those who have used cannabis 1–2 times within the past 12 months; regular users — those who have used cannabis 3–39 times within the past 12 months. Part i in all students, while part ii for males and part iii for females.

Summary points

  • Figure EYE-1 compares patterns of polydrug use (including alcohol and cigarettes) in the last 30 days between all school students aged 15-to-16 years old and students who used cannabis during the last 30 days.
  • This investigation of polydrug use has been made in cooperation with ESPAD* by comparing school students aged 15 to 16 years in 2003, who have used cannabis during the previous 30 days with the other students. The comparison shows that, on average, students who have used cannabis are more likely to have used other substances, even though last month prevalence rates among the cannabis users remain below 10 % for use of illegal substances. Smoking cigarettes and binge drinking among the cannabis users, rises to 80 %, which is approximately double that found among the general student population. These comparisons indicate that cannabis use is associated with considerably higher than average rates of both legal and illegal drug use.
  • Figure EYE-2 compares patterns of polydrug use (including alcohol and cigarettes) in the last 30 days between all school students aged 15-to-16 years old and students who used ecstasy during the last 30 days.
  • This investigation of polydrug use has been made in cooperation with ESPAD* by comparing school students aged 15 to 16 years in 2003 who have used ecstasy during the previous 30 days with the other students. The comparison shows that, on average, students who have used ecstasy much more likely to have used other substances, with last month prevalence rates among the ecstasy users rising to over 20 % for use of illegal substances. Binge drinking among the ecstasy users rises to 85 %, which is more than double that found among the general student population. These comparisons indicate that ecstasy use is associated with considerably higher than average rates of both legal and illegal drug use.
  • Figure EYE-3 compares the frequency of different substance use in recreational settings based on a summary of comparable surveys of 9 European cities in 2006.
  • A study of young people, aged 15–30, who regularly go out in nightlife settings carried out in 2006 in nine European cities (Athens, Berlin, Brno, Lisbon, Liverpool, Ljubljana, Palma, Venice and Vienna) reported that nearly a quarter used cannabis once a week or more, but far less were frequent users of cocaine (3.8 %), ecstasy (1.4 %) or amphetamine (less than 1 %).
  • Figure EYE-4 changes between 2001 and 2005 in prevalence of heavy cannabis use among school students aged 15 to 16.
  • These data show that frequent cannabis use remains rare among 15-year-old school students. Only six countries report a prevalence of frequent cannabis use (defined here as 40 times or more during the previous 12 months) of more than 2 %. However, frequent use is generally more prevalent among males with rates up to 5 % in seven countries. These data are based on HBSC surveys, details in Table EYE-9.
  • Figure EYE-5 changes between 2001 and 2005 in prevalence of ever-in-lifetime cannabis use among school students aged 15 to 16.
  • Ever-in-lifetime use of cannabis by 15- to 16-year-old school students may be taken to reflect recent or current use, as the age of first experimenting with this substance often occurs at, or around, this age. HBSC data show very large differences across 27 countries in lifetime use of cannabis among 15-year olds in 2005/2006. In five countries, prevalence estimates are under 10 %; 11 countries report a range between 10 % and 20 % and a group of 11 countries report prevalence rates for ever-in-lifetime use of cannabis between 20 % and 30 %. These data are based on HBSC surveys, details in Table EYE-8.

* The figure is based on data from the database produced within the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). Analyses was in line with the rules for the use of the ESPAD database and the national principal investigators providing data for each of the countries included, can be found at www.espad.org.