Drug use

Prevalence of problem drug use (rate per 1,000 for ages 15-64 years) in the EU-27 (2001-2005) (source: EMCDDA, 2007)

Countries without available data are not shown.

¹ Interval is a 95% confidence interval

² Latvia: the original study used 'all ages' as the age range, the rate was adapted to ages 15-64; Finland: the original age range of study was 15-55, rate was adapted to 15-64.

Remarks

‘Problem drug use’ is defined by the EMCDDA as ‘injecting drug use or long duration or regular use of opioids, cocaine and/or amphetamines’. This definition specifically includes regular or long-term use of prescribed opioids such as methadone but does not include their rare or irregular use nor the use of ecstasy or cannabis.

Available estimates are improving in number and quality, but there are still many problems to be solved. There is no single method that can be applied in all the countries to give truly comparable results and even if a standard method such as capture-recapture can be used at local level, available datasets often differ so much that it would be difficult to compare results across countries.

Comparability problems also stem from differences in the exact definition of the estimated target group, due to differences in drug use patterns between countries. Most EU countries were able to produce national estimates of problem drug use using the agreed definition of problem drug use by 2005, although estimates of injecting drug use remain scarce. Many of the available estimates are based on results from more than one estimation method, thereby adding to their reliability. (Source: EMCDDA - Problematic drug use population - Methods and definitions).

For original EMCDDA data see: Prevalence of problem drug use at national level (EMCDDA Statistical bulletin 2007)

Lifetime prevalence (%) of drug use among all adults (ages 15-64 years) in Norway and the EU-27 (source: EMCDDA, 2007)

- : no data available

^a Cocaine any form.

^b For Spain: ecstasy and other designer drugs.

Remarks

This table aims to present an overview of national surveys. Exceptionally, some relevant regional surveys are presented. Some city surveys reported by countries were not included as they tend to produce higher prevalence estimates which are not comparable with estimates for whole countries (or large regions with both urban and rural areas). Athens was included as reference point for the 1993 survey.

In surveys with small sample sizes results should be interpreted with caution.

Countries were asked to report results using, as far as possible, EMCDDA standard age groups (all adults: 15-64, young adults: 15-34). In countries where age ranges are more restrictive, prevalence estimates tend to be slightly higher. Some countries have recalculated their prevalence figures using the EMCDDA standard age groups.

For original EMCDDA data see: Lifetime prevalence of drug use among all adults (15 to 64 years old) in nationwide surveys among the general population (EMCDDA Statistical bulletin 2007)

Lifetime prevalence (%) of cannabis use among students, ages 15-16 years, in Norway and the EU-27, male, female and total in 2003 (sources: ESPAD Study, Hibell et al., 2004; EMCDDA, 2005)

^a For Germany figures are based in six regions only (Bavaria, Brandenburg, Berlin, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia).

- : no data available, countries without available data are not shown. Data from Spain are not from the ESPAD study but from a comparable Spanish study.

Remarks

'The international comparability of the ESPAD schools survey is based on nationally representative samples of school classes with the goal of having at least 2400 participating students from the target group, and by standardising the target age group (between 15 and 16 years), the questionnaire, data collection in schools, assurance of anonymity and the time of year that data collection takes place' (Source: EMCDDA: Studies of youth and the schools population - Methods and definitions).

Lifetime prevalence (%) of psychoactive substance use among students, ages 15-16 years, in Norway and the EU-27 for selected drugs in 2003 (sources: ESPAD Study, Hibell et al., 2004; EMCDDA, 2005)

Countries without available data are not shown, data from Spain are not from the ESPAD study but from a comparable Spanish study.

^a LSD & other hallucinogens: includes LSD only.

^b For Germany figures are based in six regions only (Bavaria, Brandenburg, Berlin, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia).

^c Ecstasy: includes other synthetic drugs. LSD & other hallucinogens: includes poppers/amyl nitrate.

^d The sample size given for the survey is for a wider age range than 15 to 16 years.

Remarks

'The international comparability of the ESPAD schools survey is based on nationally representative samples of school classes with the goal of having at least 2400 participating students from the target group, and by standardising the target age group (between 15 and 16 years), the questionnaire, data collection in schools, assurance of anonymity and the time of year that data collection takes place' (Source: EMCDDA: Studies of youth and the schools population - Methods and definitions).