20-05-2025
Drinking, smoking and illict drug use falling among teens but rise in e-cigarettes and gambling
Drinking, smoking and the use of illicit drugs are falling among teenagers across Europe, including Ireland, but there is concern about the increase in use of e-cigarettes, gaming and gambling.
The results of a major new survey on substance use by 15- to 16-year-old students across Europe also highlighted an increasing non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs as well as a noticeable increase in risky behaviours by girls across several areas.
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The report published by the EU Drugs Agency is the eighth edition of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, which surveyed almost 114,000 students aged 15-16 across 37 European countries, including Ireland, last year.
The study revealed that lifetime alcohol use among teenagers had steadily declined over the past 30 years from 88 per cent in 1995 to 74 per cent in 2024.
In Ireland, the figure has gone from 91 per cent in 1995 to 67 per cent last year.
Current alcohol use by Irish teenagers, which measures those who have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days, has reduced from 66 per cent in 1995 to 35 per cent in 2024 – one of the largest reductions across Europe.
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The level of binge drinking – defined as five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the last 30 days – has also fallen from 32 per cent in 2019 to 23 per cent last year.
Across Europe, binge drinking is also at its lowest level in 30 years, at 30 per cent.
The study shows a similar downward trend in relation to cigarette smoking against a background of tobacco policy measures introduced over the past two decades, with lifetime use by teenagers across Europe falling from 68 per cent in 1995 to 32 per cent in 2024.
In Ireland, the decline over the same period has been one of the greatest reductions recorded in Europe, down from 73 per cent in 1995 to 31 per cent in 2019 and 24 per cent last year.
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The proportion of Irish teenagers who said they had smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days last year was 9 per cent, down from 14 per cent five years earlier and 41 per cent in 1995.
In contrast, however, e-cigarette use is on the rise across Europe, with current use increasing from 14 per cent in 2019 to 22 per cent last year.
In almost all countries, including Ireland, girls are more likely to use e-cigarettes.
In Ireland, 18 per cent of girls tried e-cigarettes at the age of 13 or younger compared to 12 per cent of boys.
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As with alcohol and tobacco products, the survey also confirms a decline in the use of illicit drugs among European teenagers.
On average, 14 per cent of students aged 15-16 years in Europe reported having used an illicit drug at least once in their lives in 2024.
The figure in Ireland is 13 per cent, which falls to 4 per cent if cannabis is excluded.
In 2019, 20 per cent of Irish teenagers had admitted to lifetime illicit drug use, which decreased to 6 per cent when cannabis was excluded.
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The proportion of Irish students who claim to have consumed cannabis in the past 30 days has almost halved over the space of five years, down from 9 per cent in 2019 to 5 per cent in 2024.
The EUAD said the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs is a growing concern, with lifetime use now at 14 per cent among teenagers across Europe.
The problem is significantly less in Ireland, with just 3 per cent of students reporting such use.
Girls are consistently more likely to take such drugs, with tranquilisers and sedatives the most frequently misused drugs, followed by painkillers and attention/hyperactivity medications.
EUAD said the perceived ease of obtaining these substances, with one in five students saying tranquillisers are easy to access, 'underscores the need for targeted prevention and monitoring of prescription drug misuse among teens.'
Although overall gambling rates have remained stable over the past decade, the study highlighted how online gambling by teenagers has risen sharply.
In 2024, 29 per cent of teenagers in Ireland said they had gambled within the previous 12 months compared to 24 per cent in 2019. The average across Europe last year was 22 per cent.
Boys are more active gamblers and are twice as likely to gamble online.
Despite stricter gambling regulations, harmful gambling behaviours by European teenagers have nearly doubled to 9 per cent in 2024.
The results of the survey also confirmed a surge in gaming by teenagers in recent years which is largely driven by the popularity of smartphones and tablets.
In Ireland, 87 per cent of teenagers reported gaming in the previous 12 months in 2024 compared to 56 per cent in 2019.
Boys consistently report higher gaming rates, although the gender gap is narrowing.
Last year 93 per cent of male teenagers in Ireland said they were gaming as well as 80 per cent of teenage girls.
Across Europe, 22 per cent of students believed they had a gaming problem while 47 per cent claimed their use of social media was problematic.
The report also highlighted sharp gender differences in sense of well-being among Irish and European teenagers.
According to the survey, 71 per cent of boys in Ireland reported good well-being with their mental health compared to 50 per cent of girls.
