A new survey is showing a dramatic change in the drug and alcohol habits of European teenagers: consumption of “traditional” drugs and alcohol is dropping, with vaping on the increase.
The 2025 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), carried out by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), captures these shifting trends. The report included 113 882 students across 37 European countries and showed decreased consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs among 15 and 16-year-old Europeans. The survey also documents a steep rise in the use of e-cigarettes among this group of youngsters.
According to the ESPAD, the percentage of adolescents who have tried alcohol has fallen from 88 % in 1995 to 74 % in 2024 (in 32 countries). While overall drinking among teenagers is going down, heavy drinking is still a big problem in some places— especially in Denmark, Germany, and Austria, where the rates are highest. The report also shows that kids are starting to drink younger than before, with about three out of four students having tried alcohol already, and roughly one-third saying that they had their very first drink when they were 13 or even younger.
Teens’ illegal drug use across Europe
In the same way, illicit drug use among teens in 32 countries has dropped from 19% in 2015 to 14% in 2024. Cannabis is reportedly the most consumed drug despite its lifetime use has declined to 12% from a 2003 peak of 18%, with current use dropping to 5%, reflecting a long-term downward trend.
After cannabis, the most commonly tried illicit drugs among teens are cocaine and ecstasy (also known as MDMA), with about 2% of students saying they’ve tried them. LSD, other hallucinogens, and amphetamines follow closely behind with around 1.8 %, though they remain far less popular overall. Around 3 % reported the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), a small decline compared to 2019 when it was 3.4 %. For the first time, the survey covered nitrous oxide (better known as laughing gas) and found that about 3.1% of teens said they had tried it. In most countries (67%), girls were more likely than boys to have used inhalants, marking a shift in previous patterns.
Vapes on the rise
But as cigarettes and alcohol become less popular, vaping is rapidly taking their place. Across 32 countries that tracked e-cigarette use in both 2019 and 2024, regular use increased from 14% to 22%, while the percentage of teens who had ever tried vaping rose slightly from 41% to 43%. In 30 of those countries, more girls (46%) than boys (41%) reported having tried e-cigarettes at least once.
The survey highlights growing concerns that the easy accessibility of vaping products is contributing to more young people using both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, reflecting an overall trend toward various nicotine alternatives. On top of that sleek designs, a variety of flavours, and social media trends have made vaping look “cool” and relatively harmless, especially to teenagers. The other worrying part is that many health experts notice that there’s still no clear understanding of the long-term health consequences of vaping.
Gambling, gaming and social media
Online gambling is becoming a growing concern among teens, with the number of young people gambling online nearly doubling since 2019 — and girls showing the biggest rise. Boys are still more likely to gamble overall and are twice as likely to do it online, but harmful gambling habits have nearly doubled despite tougher rules. Meanwhile, gaming has taken off among teens, especially girls, whose participation has tripled, from 22 % in 2015 to 71 %, narrowing the gender gap. Alongside this, many teens are also struggling with their screen time: in 2024, 80 % reported they have a gaming problem, and nearly half of the students (47 %) feel their social media use is out of control, with girls most likely to say it’s affecting them.
The ESPAD survey serves as a valuable tool for monitoring substance use trends among European adolescents. The study highlights that 72 % of students participated in at least one prevention programme in the two years preceding the survey. Identifying emerging patterns enables stakeholders to develop targeted interventions aimed at promoting the health and well-being of young people across the continent. Reacting to these findings, policymakers and public health organizations are called upon to implement broad approaches that have the potential to end the youth vaping epidemic.
