Illicit drug use

Any drug use

Lifetime use of illicit drugs varied considerably across the ESPAD countries (Table 7a). In the Czech Republic, 37 % of the students reported having used any illicit drug at least once, which was more than twice the ESPAD average of 18 %. Students in Bulgaria, France, Liechtenstein and Monaco also exhibit high levels of drug use experience (30-32 %). Particularly low levels (10 % or less) of illicit drug use were noted in Albania, Cyprus, the Faroes, Finland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Sweden and Ukraine. On average, 21 % of boys and 15 % of girls have tried illicit drugs at least once during their lifetime. In most ESPAD countries, prevalence rates were higher among boys than among girls. Noticeable gender differences were found in Georgia (24 % for boys and 6 % for girls), Liechtenstein (40 % versus 23 %) and Albania (18 % versus 4 %).

Cannabis use

The most prevalent illicit drug in all ESPAD countries is cannabis. On average, 16 % of the students have used cannabis at least once in their lifetime (Table 7a). The country with the highest prevalence of cannabis use was the Czech Republic (37 %). High prevalence rates (30 % or more) were also reported in France, Liechtenstein and Monaco. The lowest levels of cannabis use (4-7 %) were reported in Albania, Cyprus, the Faroes, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Moldova, Norway and Sweden. On average, boys reported cannabis use to a larger extent than girls (19 % versus 14 %). This was the case in nearly all countries except the Czech Republic, the Faroes, Hungary, Iceland, Malta, Slovenia and Sweden, where rates were about the same for boys and girls. The largest gender differences (10 percentage points or more, higher rates among boys) were found in Albania, Georgia and Liechtenstein.

Other illicit drug use

Besides cannabis, some students have also used other illicit substances. In some cases, they have done so without any experience of cannabis at all. Among the most frequently tried illicit drugs are ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine and LSD or other hallucinogens (Tables 7a, 7b). In the case of illicit drugs other than cannabis, on average, 1-2 % of the ESPAD students reported having used them at least once. Lifetime prevalence rates for methamphetamine, crack, heroin and GHB were lower than those for the other illicit drugs (1 % on average). At the country level, higher rates (5 % or more) were found in Bulgaria (ecstasy, amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine) and Poland (LSD or other hallucinogens). The most marked gender differences are seen in Georgia (ecstasy: 7 % for boys and 1 % for girls) and Albania (cocaine: 6 % versus 1 %).

Table 7a. Illicit drug use: lifetime prevalence of the use of any drug, cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamine and methamphetamine (percentage)

Table 7b. Illicit drug use: lifetime prevalence of the use of cocaine, crack, LSD or other hallucinogens, heroin and GHB(percentage)