Table Prevalence-1. School surveys: Lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use among 15- to 16-year-old students

Country	Ref.	Notes	Year	Project	Sample all ages	Sample 15-16 years	Cannabis (%)	Inhalants/ volatiles (%)	Amphet-amines (%)	Ecstasy (%)	LSD & other hallucino-gens (%)	Cocaine (%)	Heroin (%)

Belgium (fl)	⁽¹⁾		1998	HBSC(WHO)	8667	na	18.9	3.8	3.3	5.0	1.7	1.0	0.7
Belgium (fl)	⁽²⁾		1999	VAD	47657	na	24.1	4.2	6.5	4.0	4.2	1.9	0.9
Belgium (fl)	⁽³⁾		2000	HBSC(WHO)	4989	na	20.7	3.6	3.3	2.6	3.0	1.2	0.6
Belgium (fl)	⁽⁴⁾		2000	VAD	82375	na	23.9	3.8	5.3	3.6	3.6	1.8	1.0
Belgium (fl)	⁽⁵⁾		2001-2002	VAD	35114	na	32.3	8.0	5.5	5.5	5.7	3.4	3.5
Belgium (fl)	^*		2002	HBSC(WHO)Ext	6289	2030	25.1	3.4	2.9	3.5	2.6	1.3	0.8
Belgium (fl)	⁽⁷⁾		2002-2003	VAD	35407	na	31.2	6.9	4.1	4.2	4.4	1.9	2.2
Belgium (fr)	⁽⁸⁾		1997-98	HBSC(WHO)	12987	na	26.2	4.5	4.9	5.1	1.6	1.4	1.5
Belgium (fr)	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Ext	4323	1381	25.9	4.0	1.0	4.0	6.0	2.0	1.0
Czech Republic	^*		1995	ESPAD		2962	22.0	8.0	2.0	0.0	3.0	1.0	1.0
Czech Republic	^*		1999	ESPAD		3579	35.0	7.0	5.0	4.0	5.0	1.0	3.0
Czech Republic	^**	^(a)	2002	HBSC(WHO)Ext	5012	1660	30.5	7.3	2.0	4.5	3.0	na	1.2
Denmark	^*	^(b)	1995	ESPAD		2439	17.0	6.0	2.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
Denmark	^*	^(b)	1999	ESPAD		1790	24.0	7.0	4.0	3.1	1.0	1.0	1.0
Denmark	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4672	1380	23.3	na	na	na	na	na	na
Germany	^**	^(c)	2002	HBSC(WHO)	5650	1749	23.9	na	na	na	na	na	na
Estonia	^*		1995	ESPAD		3118	7.0	8.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0
Estonia	^*		1999	ESPAD		3254	13.0	8.0	7.0	3.0	2.0	2.0	1.0
Estonia	^**	^(d)	2002	HBSC(WHO)	3979	1267	17.2	na	na	na	na	na	na
Greece	⁽¹⁾	^(e)	1995			2617	2.0	6.0	4.0	na	1.0	0.0	0.0
Greece	⁽²⁾		1998		8557	na	10.2	13.7	3.6	1.8	2.6	1.6	0.8
Greece	^*		1999	ESPAD		2259	9.0	14.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	2.0
Greece	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Short	3807	1324	5.2	6.4	na	1.7	na	na	na
Spain	⁽¹⁾	^(f)	1996	PNSD	19191	na	24.6	3.4	4.1	4.4	5.4	2.5	0.8
Spain	⁽²⁾	^(f)	1998	PNSD	18346	na	28.0	4.2	4.0	2.9	4.8	4.3	1.0
Spain	⁽³⁾	^(f)	2000	PNSD	18348	na	30.0	4.0	3.4	5.4	4.6	4.1	0.6
Spain	⁽⁴⁾	^(f)	2002	PNSD	25770		36.0	3.3	3.9	4.7	3.5	5.9	0.5
Spain	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	5827	1756	34.5	na	na	na	na	na	na
France	⁽¹⁾	^(e)	1995			na	12.0	6.0	2.0	na	1.0	1.0	1.0
France	⁽²⁾	^g)	1997		9919	na	23.0	5.5	1.9	2.5	na	1.5	1.4
France	^*		1999	ESPAD	12113	2284	35.0	11.0	2.3	3.0	1.0	1.5	1.0
France	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Ext	8185	2614	30.0	na	na	na	na	na	na
Ireland	^*		1995	ESPAD		1849	37.0	na	3.0	9.0	13.0	2.0	2.0
Ireland	⁽²⁾		1998		8497	na	21.7	13.0	4.2	2.8	3.4	2.2	1.8
Ireland	^*		1999	ESPAD		2277	32.0	22.0	3.0	5.0	5.0	2.0	2.0
Ireland	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Short	2875	919	19.7	na	na	na	na	na	na
Italy	^*		1995	ESPAD		1555	19.0	8.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	3.0	2.0
Italy	^*		1999	ESPAD		4106	25.0	6.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.6	4.0
Italy	⁽³⁾	^(o)	2000		21933	4587	28.4	4.9	1.3	2.9	2.5	2.7	4.9
Italy	⁽⁴⁾	^{(h) (o)}	2001		22358	4485	27.0	5.4	0.9	1.3	1.6	1.5	2.2
Italy	⁽⁵⁾	^{(i) (o)}	2002		16934	na	18.9	3.7	0.9	1.5	0.9	1.5	0.45
Italy	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4386	1229	21.8	na	na	na	na	na	na
Cyprus	^*		1995	ESPAD		632	5.0	7.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
Cyprus	^*		1999	ESPAD		2095	2.0	na	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	2.0
Latvia	^*		1995	ESPAD		2179	5.0	15.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0
Latvia	^*		1999	ESPAD		2284	17.0	7.0	4.0	6.0	3.0	2.0	7.0
Latvia	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	3481	1117	11.9	na	na	na	na	na	na
Lithuania	^*		1995	ESPAD		3196	1.0	18.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0
Lithuania	^*		1999	ESPAD		5039	12.0	13.0	2.0	4.0	1.0	1.0	4.0
Lithuania	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Short	5645	1905	7.9	na	na	na	na	na	na
Luxembourg	⁽¹⁾	^(j)	1999			562	37.1	na	na	5.6	5.8	11.1	2.8
Luxembourg	⁽²⁾		1999	HBSC(WHO)	7347	na	27.7	3.6	3.1	1.8	1.4	1.5	0.8
Hungary	^*		1995	ESPAD		2571	4.0	7.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0
Hungary	^*		1999	ESPAD		6421	11.0	6.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	1.0	1.0
Hungary	⁽³⁾	^(o)	2002		2187		15.4	2.9	3.1	2.8	2.5	2.2	3.2
Hungary	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4164	1330	13.0	na	na	na	na	na	na
Malta	^*		1995	ESPAD		2832	8.0	17.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.0
Malta	^*		1999	ESPAD		4321	7.0	15.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Malta	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	1980	667	6.3	na	na	na	na	na	na
Netherlands	⁽¹⁾		1996		10455	na	31.1	na	7.8	8.1	na	4.3	1.3
Netherlands	⁽²⁾	^(k)	1999			2615	28.0	na	2.0	4.0	na	3.0	1.0
Netherlands	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4269	1273	25.9	na	na	na	na	na	na
Austria	⁽¹⁾	^(l)	1994		2250	na	9.5	na	na	na	na	2.0	na
Austria	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4472	1298	13.7	na	na	na	na	na	na
Poland	^*		1995	ESPAD		8940	8.0	11.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	1.0
Poland	^*		1999	ESPAD		na	14.0	10.0	7.0	3.0	4.0	2.0	5.0
Poland	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)Ext	6383	2152	18.0	na	na	na	na	na	na
Portugal	^*		1995	ESPAD		2033	7.0	3.0	2.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Portugal	^*		1999	ESPAD		3609	8.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	3.0
Portugal	⁽³⁾	^(o)	2002			na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na
Portugal	^**	^(m)	2002	HBSC(WHO)	2940	802	19.7	na	na	na	na	na	na
Slovenia	^*		1995	ESPAD		3306	13.0	14.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Slovenia	^*		1999	ESPAD		3184	25.0	15.0	1.0	4.0	2.0	1.0	2.0
Slovenia	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	3956	1069	28.3	na	na	na	na	na	na
Slovak Republic	^*		1995	ESPAD		2376	9.0	8.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Slovak Republic	^*		1999	ESPAD		2442	19.0	8.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	0.0	2.0
Finland	^*		1995	ESPAD		2300	5.0	4.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0
Finland	^*		1999	ESPAD		3286	10.0	5.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Finland	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	5388	1745	10.3	na	na	na	na	na	na
Sweden	^*		1995	ESPAD		3472	6.0	12.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.0	0.0
Sweden	⁽²⁾	^(o)	1998	CAN		5455	7.0	8.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sweden	^*		1999	ESPAD		3445	8.0	8.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sweden	⁽⁴⁾	^(o)	2000	CAN		6000	8.0	9.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sweden	⁽⁵⁾	^(o)	2001	CAN		5500	7.0	8.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sweden	⁽⁶⁾	^(o)	2002	CAN		approx5000	7.0	8.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sweden	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	3926	1226	7.1	na	na	na	na	na	na
Sweden	⁽⁸⁾	^(o)	2003	CAN		approx5000	6.0	7.0	1.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0
United Kingdom	^*		1995	ESPAD		7722	41.0	20.0	13.0	8.0	14.0	3.0	2.0
United Kingdom	⁽²⁾		1997		28756	na	37.5	4.0	7.3	3.0	3.2	1.5	0.7
United Kingdom	^*		1999	ESPAD		2641	35.0	15.0	8.0	3.0	5.0	3.0	3.0
U.K. (England)	⁽¹⁾	^{(n) (p)}	1998	ONS	4752	na	29.6	5.7	7.6	2.5	3.2	2.8	1.0
U.K. (England)	⁽²⁾	^(p)	2000	ONS	7061	na	31.0	6.0	4.0	4.0	5.0	2.0	2.0
U.K. (England)	⁽³⁾	^(p)	2001	ONS	9400	na	36.0	19.0	4.0	5.0	7.0	3.0	2.0
U.K. (England)	⁽⁴⁾	^(p)	2002	ONS	9859	na	36.0	16.0	4.0	5.0	6.0	4.0	2.0
U.K. (England)	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	6081	1773	40.2	na	na	na	na	na	na
U.K. (Scotland)	⁽¹⁾	^(p)	1998	Scottish Exc	3538	na	38.0	9.0	12.0	4.0	7.0	1.0	0.0
U.K. (Scotland)	⁽²⁾	^(p)	2000	Scottish Exc	4700	na	28.0	5.0	2.0	4.0	2.0	2.0	1.0
U.K. (Scotland)	⁽³⁾	^(p)	2002	Scottish Exc	23000	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na
U.K. (Scotland)	^**		2002	HBSC(WHO)	4404	1149	37.3	na	na	na	na	na	na
U.K. (Wales)	⁽¹⁾		1998	HBSC(WHO)	1238	na	35.8	15.1	14.2	4.5	6.7	1.8	1.1
U.K. (Wales)	^(**)		2002	HBSC(WHO)	3887	1164	34.1	na	na	na	na	na	na
Norway	^(*)		1995	ESPAD		3910	6.0	7.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Norway	^(*)		1999	ESPAD		3918	12.0	6.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	1.0	2.0

Notes:
This table aims to present data on 15- to 16-year-old school students obtained from national surveys. Exceptionally, some relevant regional surveys are presented. In all of the school surveys, the method for data collection was classroom-based, anonymous, self-completion questionnaires in written test conditions.
Figures from surveys with small sample sizes should be interpreted with caution.
Previously published figures may have been revised and therefore are not necessarily comparable with those in previous EMCDDA publications.
For methods and definions see [Methods and definitions - Schools surveys].

ESPAD
ESPAD (The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) 1995 and 1999 is co-ordinated by The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN) and Council of Europe (Pompidou Group). ESPAD prevalence figures are reported rounded to the nearest whole percentage point (other sources supply percentages up to one decimal place). ESPAD data "heroin" refers to heroin smoking (not injecting) and "cocaine" does not include base/crack. For further details see www.espad.org.

HBSC (WHO)
HBSC (Health behaviour in school-aged children) introduced mandatory cannabis questions for the first time in 2001/2002. Two optional extended questionnaires (Ext & Short) include other drugs. These questions are based on the ESPAD qustionnaire. Prior to 2001 some countries included their own drug questions in their HBSC surveys. It is co-ordinated by the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. in collaboration with the WHO regional office for Europe. For further details see www.hbsc.org.

(a) LSD & other hallucinogens: includes LSD only.
(b) Caution is required comparing figures from Denmark as a large number of Danish schools and classes refused to participate.
(c) HBSC German figures are based on regional samples only (Berlin, Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony).
(d) Heroin: excludes heroin smoking.
(e) Data included in 1995 ESPAD report but not strictly comparable (based on an earlier survey).
(f) Ecstasy: includes other synthetic drugs. LSD & other hallucinogens: includes poppers/amyl nitrate.
(g) Ecstasy: includes LSD.
(h) Cocaine: includes cocaine powder only. Heroin: includes only by smoking heroin.
(i) LSD & other hallucinogens: includes LSD only. Cocaine: includes cocaine powder only. Heroin: includes only by smoking heroin.
(j) Interpret with caution as sample size is small.
(k) Figures included in 1999 ESPAD report but not strictly comparable, as the sample was not drawn according to ESPAD guidelines.
(l) Cocaine: includes 'hard' drugs.
(m) Caution is required comparing figures from Portugal as the mean age of the sample is higher than in any other EU Member State.
(n) Cocaine: includes cocaine powder only.
(o) These school surveys make use of the ESPAD questionnaire. ESPAD methods are adopted to varying degrees.
(p) Only 15-year-old students are included in U.K. ONS and Scottish Executive school surveys.

Sources:
For sources see [Table Prevalence-0. School surveys: Sources].

Download