The 2011 ESPAD report: substance use among students in 36 European countries.

TLDR

ESPAD aims to gather comparable data on substance use among 15‑to‑16‑year‑old European students to monitor national and cross‑country trends, and this report summarizes key 2011 findings and long‑term patterns. ESPAD conducts periodic surveys, with the first wave in 26 countries in 1995 and the 2011 wave in 37 countries, and the methodology is briefly outlined in the report. The project has completed five waves, and the 2011 survey produced results for 36 of 37 participating countries, with the Isle of Man excluded.

Abstract

The main purpose of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) is to collect comparable data on substance use among 15- to 16-year-old European students in order to monitor trends within as well as between countries. So far, five data-collection waves have been conducted in the framework of the project. The first study was carried out in 26 countries in 1995, while data collection in 2011 was performed in 37 countries. However, results for 2011 are available only for 36 countries, since the Isle of Man collected data but unfortunately did not have the possibility to deliver any results. This summary presents key results from the 2011 survey in the ESPAD countries as well as findings regarding the long-term trends. An initial section gives a short overview of the methodology.