Cannabis use among European teenagers on the rise

Cigarette and alcohol consumption among 15-16 year-olds is declining across Europe, but the cannabis consumption figures on the rise, according to a European study.

The Espad report, a European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs, documents the main trends in consumption in Europe among pupils aged 16. Its 2015 report includes most European countries except Germany and Great Britain, with incomplete data for Spain.

In 2015, 22% of those surveyed said they had smoked tobacco in the last 30 days («recent» use), with a peak in Italy at 37%. France stands at 26%, 11th out of 35, after a gradual decline between 2011 and 2015, below consumption levels in 2007, the benchmark year for France. Cigarette consumption is higher among women than men.

With regard to alcohol, the figures show a steady decline between 1995 and 2015, from 56% to 46% in Europe. France is slightly above the European average (47%, in 15th place), with more men than women using alcohol.

In the case of cannabis, 7% of young Europeans have used it in the last 30 days, with uneven distribution by country. The top three are France, Italy and the Czech Republic, with 17%, 15% and 13% respectively. In France, almost one in three 16-year-olds (32%) say they have smoked cannabis at least once in their lives, especially among boys (24% vs. 29%). Between 2011 and 2015, monthly cannabis use fell sharply, from 24TP3T to 17%. The proportion of students under 13 who have experimented with cannabis remains high in France at 6%, behind Monaco at 8%. The number of occasions when cannabis is used during the year is also high in France, at 1.2 times the European average.

The report found no correlation between «anti-drug» legislation and consumption data. Recent and year-round cannabis use has only increased since 1995, with a drop between 2011 and 2015, to slightly above 2007 levels.