ESPAD – the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs – released their report for 2007 on march 26th. Data is collected on substance use among 15-16 ear old european in 35 countries. This is the fourth report of it`s kind.

Among the findings are that 82% of the students have drunk alcohol last 12 months, 61 last 30 days, which are more or less the same as in previous studies. Heavy episodic drinking have increased though from 35% in 2003, to 42% in 2007. During the last 15 year heavy drinking has increased with 15%. The gap between boys and girls in drunking habits also seems to diminish, which is verified also by other surveys. In Norway actually more girls and boys told about heavy episodic drinking last year. This development can eplain most of the increase last years.
Drinking habits varies between countries with for instance the nordic countries consumating more alcohol when they drink, even though fewer say that they have drunken last year.

Among students who had tried illicit drugs, most had tried cannabis. Lifetime cannabis use was reported by 19% of the students while 7% had tried one or more of the other drugs. More boys than girls had used cnnabis. The reports concludes that the overall impression is that the increase in illicit drug use between 1995 and 2003 has come to a halt, if not a decrease in the report for 2007.

Nine key variables were selected to give an overview of the 2007 results per country regarding consumption of sigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs and heavy drinking. the countries that scored aove or around averae for most of the nine measures was Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Isle of Man, the Slovak Republic and United Kingdom. Countries mosty around or below average are Armenia, Cypros, Greece, Iceland, Portugal and Romania.

When it comes to sigarettes the trend is that students smoke less, or that the situation is stabil.

The report concludes in the end that the overall impression of the long-term changes in substance use among the ESPAD students, bas on countries with such data, is one of an improved situation, apart from the heavy episodic drinking measure which display an increase.

The whole report and a summary can be read here.