The overall purpose of the ESPAD project is to study adolescent substance use in Europe from a comparative and longitudinal perspective.

The basic goal is to collect comparable data on the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among students throughout European countries. Data should be collected in cooperation between countries using a strictly standardised methodology, in order to offer as comparable results as possible.

In the long run the most important aim is to monitor the of trends of the adolescent substance use in European countries and to compare trends between countries. This includes the mapping of differences and the monitoring of trends for policy purposes as well as the scientific study of the context, predictors and consequences of adolescent substance use.

In relation to the EU action plan on drugs and the WHO Europe declaration about young people and alcohol, ESPAD  data can provide information for the evaluation of these charters.

It is intended to repeat the surveys every fourth year. All European countries are welcome to join the ESPAD study, in the effort of making the coverage across Europe as complete as possible.

More information is available in the document ESPAD Project History.