Country summaries

Key results 2015 country by country

This section presents the 2015 results for eight selected key variables by country. For each country the results are shown in a graph and they are compared with the unweighted ESPAD averages. The countries are presented in alphabetical order.
The eight key variables are (with the questionnaire item label in brackets):

cigarette use during the last 30 days (C07).
alcohol use during the last 30 days (C10c).
heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days, i.e. having had five or more drinks on one occasion (C14).
lifetime use of cannabis (marijuana or hashish) (C22a).
lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis (ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, LSD or other hallucinogens and GHB) (C26a, C27a, C29a, C30a, C32b, C32d and C32f).
lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without a doctor’s prescription (C32a).
lifetime use of inhalants in order to get high (C31a).
lifetime use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) (C34).

For more detailed information about each variable please refer to the master questionnaire and to the result tables.

Albania Austria Belgium (Flanders)Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Faroes Finland Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia France Georgia Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Ukraine

Albania

The Albanian students reported prevalence rates clearly below average for four of out of the eight key variables studied. For instance, 11 % of the Albanian students reported cigarette use in the last 30 days, compared to the ESPAD average of 21 %. Students in Albania also reported less extensive use of alcohol in the last 30 days (32 % versus 48 %) and a lower prevalence of heavy episodic drinking in the same time period (23 % versus 35 %). The prevalence of lifetime use of cannabis in Albania (7 %) was less than half the ESPAD average (16 %). For the remaining substances, however, the Albanian results were relatively close to the ESPAD average. In the ESPAD context the results indicate rather moderate substance-use habits among the Albanian students compared to students in the other countries.
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Austria

Compared to the ESPAD averages, Austrian students tended to report higher rates of substance use for the eight key variables that were studied, especially the variables regarding alcohol. Austria exceeds the ESPAD average by 20 percentage points on alcohol use in the last 30 days, and heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days is also clearly more common. The proportion of students reporting cigarette use in the last 30 days amounts to 28 % in Austria, compared to 21 % for all countries. Other variables where the Austrian students report somewhat higher prevalence rates are lifetime use of cannabis and lifetime use of inhalants. For the remaining key variables, namely lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives and lifetime use of NPS, the Austrian results were roughly the same as the averages for all countries. The overall impression is that Austrian students tend to report substance-use habits above the ESPAD average.
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Belgium (Flanders)

The results from the Belgian study (Flanders only) indicate that levels of substance use among Belgian students were generally rather close to the ESPAD average. Only one variable stands out as being above the overall average, and that is alcohol use in the last 30 days, which was reported by 56 % of the Belgian students, compared to the ESPAD average of 48 %. However, the level of heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days was the same as the ESPAD average (35 %). For cigarette use in the last 30 days the prevalence among Belgian students was below the ESPAD average. Another difference, though smaller, is that not more than 1 % of Belgian students reported ever having used NPS, compared with the average for all countries of 4 %. None of the other variables presented differed greatly from the ESPAD average. The overall impression is that the substance-use habits of Belgian students are relatively typical in the ESPAD context.
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Bulgaria

Bulgarian students reported higher than average levels of use for six of the eight key variables studied. For cigarette use in the last 30 days, alcohol use in the last 30 days, heavy episodic drinking in the same period of time and lifetime use of cannabis the results for Bulgaria exceeded the ESPAD average by some 10 percentage points. For example, 59 % of the Bulgarian students reported having used alcohol in the last 30 days, compared to the average for all countries (48 %). Bulgaria also scored higher on lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis (11 % versus 5 %) and lifetime use of NPS, which was twice as high in the Bulgarian study (8 % versus 4 %). However, the results showed that lifetime use of inhalants and non-prescription use of tranquillisers or sedatives were slightly below the ESPAD average. Still, the conclusion is that the Bulgarian students scored higher than average on several important key variables.
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Croatia

The Croatian students reported considerably higher prevalence rates compared to the ESPAD average for five of the eight key variables. This is especially notable for lifetime use of inhalants (25 % versus 7 %) and for cigarette use in the last 30 days (33 % versus 21 %). In addition, last-30-day alcohol use, last-30-day heavy episodic drinking and lifetime use of cannabis were above the ESPAD average. The differences for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and lifetime use of NPS were rather small, although notable for NPS, at least in relative terms. The main impression in the ESPAD context is that substance use among Croatian students tends to be more extensive than average.
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Cyprus

The Cypriot students (from the government-controlled areas) reported substance use prevalence rates of more or less the same magnitude as the ESPAD average for five of the eight key variables studied. However, both last-30-day alcohol use and last-30-day heavy episodic drinking were clearly more commonly reported in Cyprus, since these two measures were 20 and 15 percentage points above average, respectively. Lifetime cannabis use in Cyprus, on the other hand, was below the average (7 % versus 16 %). The overall picture of Cyprus, in the ESPAD context, is that alcohol use seems to be more common while cannabis use seems to be less so.
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Czech Republic

The Czech students scored around average for two of the eight key variables: lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis and lifetime use of inhalants, while lifetime NPS use was somewhat higher. For the remaining variables the Czech results were definitely above the ESPAD average. Most notable is that lifetime use of cannabis and lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription were more than twice as high as the average (37 % versus 16 % and 16 % versus 6 %, respectively). In addition, last-30-day alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking were clearly above average, as was last-30-day cigarette use. The main impression, in the ESPAD context, is that Czech students tend to display relatively extensive substance-use rates.
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Denmark

For two of the eight key variables Danish students reported considerably higher prevalence rates compared to the ESPAD average. One variable was alcohol use in the last 30 days (73 % versus 48 %) and the other was heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days (56 % versus 35 %). For the six remaining variables, the Danish students reported lower prevalence rates compared to the average country. Lifetime use of cannabis and lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription were 4 percentage points lower than the ESPAD average, while the differences for the remaining key variables were smaller. Hence, the most striking thing about Denmark is that the alcohol use reported is extensive while the other variables tended to be below the ESPAD average.
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Estonia

For one of the eight key variables the results from the Estonian survey were well below the ESPAD average, since only 38 % of the Estonian students reported any use of alcohol during the last 30 days, compared to the overall average of 48 %. For heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days, cigarette use during the last 30 days and lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis the results were in line with the ESPAD average. For the four remaining variables Estonian students reported higher levels of lifetime use and, in relative terms, this is notable not least for inhalants (13 % versus 7 %) and NPS (10 % versus 4 %), but also for cannabis (25 % versus 16 %). In the ESPAD context, the general impression is that Estonian students tend to display more extensive use of substances other than alcohol and cigarettes.
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Faroes

Out of the eight key variables compared, the results reported by the Faroese students did not exceed the ESPAD average for any of them. Cigarette use during the last 30 days and lifetime use of NPS were close to the ESPAD average, but the remaining six variables were definitely below the overall average. In relative terms, this was especially true for lifetime use of cannabis, illicit drugs other than cannabis, tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and inhalants. In addition, the results for the two alcohol measures were clearly below average. The overall impression is that the Faroes is a low-prevalence country, at least in the ESPAD context.
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Finland

For three of the eight key variables the Finnish results were in line with the ESPAD average. This is true for lifetime use of inhalants, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and cigarette use during the last 30 days. For the five remaining variables the results were all below average. In relative terms this was especially notable for lifetime use of cannabis, illicit drugs other than cannabis and NPS. In addition the results for the two alcohol measures were comparatively low, with prevalence rates at approximately two thirds of the ESPAD average. The overall impression is that Finland, in the ESPAD context, is primarily a low-prevalence country.
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Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Of the eight key variables studied, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia scored below the ESPAD average on four. For example, students from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia reported lower levels of last-30-day alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking. Lifetime use of cannabis and lifetime use of inhalants were reported by students in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at rates equivalent to roughly one third of the overall average. Lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis and lifetime use of NPS were of the same magnitude as the ESPAD average, while cigarette use in the last 30 days and lifetime use of non-prescribed tranquillisers or sedatives were the two key measures more commonly reported by the students in this country, especially the latter of the two. With the exception of lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, the overall impression for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is that levels of substance use were around or below the ESPAD average.
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France

For three of the eight key variables the French results were more or less in line with the ESPAD average. This was true for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, inhalants and NPS. Heavy episodic drinking during the last 30 days was slightly less commonly reported (31 % versus 35 %), while the four remaining measures were above the average. The most striking difference was that 31 % of the French students reported lifetime use of cannabis, compared to the overall average of 16 %. At least in relative terms, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription was also definitely more common in France. Last-30-day use of cigarettes and alcohol, respectively, were only slightly higher (5 percentage points) in France compared to the average. Even though lifetime cannabis use was twice as common in France, the overall impression, in the ESPAD context, is that substance use among French students did not differ substantially from the overall average.
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Georgia

Georgian students reported prevalence rates higher or slightly higher than the ESPAD average for five of the eight key variables studied. Heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days, for example, was reported by 41 % of the students in Georgia, compared to the ESPAD average of 35 %. In addition, the results for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, inhalants and NPS were all above average. For three of the variables the results were below average. This was true for last-30-day use of cigarettes, last-30-day use of alcohol and for lifetime use of cannabis. The overall impression is that the substance-use habits of Georgian students did not differ greatly from the ESPAD average, even though the prevalence rates more often were above rather than below average.
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Greece

For one of the eight key variables the Greek results were clearly below the ESPAD average, namely lifetime use of cannabis, which was reported by 9 % of the Greek students, compared to the overall average of 16 %. For lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and NPS the Greek results were similar to the overall results. Cigarette use in the last 30 days was also more or less in line with the ESPAD average. By contrast, lifetime use of inhalants was more common among the Greek students. Close to three quarters of the Greek students reported that alcohol use had occurred during the last 30 days, which was well above the average for all countries (48 %), and a slightly higher proportion than the ESPAD average reported that heavy episodic drinking had taken place during the same period of time. Even though several key indicators were more or less in line with the ESPAD average the overall picture for Greece in the ESPAD context is a slightly mixed one, with lower results for cannabis use but higher rates for alcohol use.
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Hungary

The results show that the Hungarian students were rather similar to the ESPAD average on at least four of the eight key variables studied. This was true for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, non-prescription use of tranquillisers, inhalants and NPS. Lifetime use of cannabis displayed somewhat lower figures for Hungary compared to the overall results (13 % and 16 %, respectively). On the other hand, more Hungarian students reported last-30-day use of alcohol, and heavy episodic drinking had also occurred more frequently compared with the average for all countries. The largest difference, in percentage points, was for cigarette use during the last 30 days (8 percentage points higher in Hungary). Apart from above-average last-30-day use of cigarettes and alcohol, the overall impression, in the ESPAD context, is that Hungarian students display substance-use habits of roughly the same magnitude as the average ESPAD student.
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Iceland

For none of the eight key variables studied did the Icelandic students report prevalence rates above the overall average. Lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, non-prescription use of tranquillisers or sedatives and lifetime use of NPS were almost in line with the overall results. However, it should be kept in mind that use of these substances was rather uncommon to begin with. For the five remaining variables the Icelandic results were definitely below the ESPAD average though. Reported lifetime use of cannabis and inhalants in Iceland were less than half the overall average, while last-30-day cigarette use and heavy episodic drinking were only one quarter of the ESPAD average. The largest difference, in relative terms as well as in percentage points, was noted for alcohol use in the last 30 days (9 % compared to 48 %). In the ESPAD context Iceland is definitely a low-prevalence country when it comes to substance use. In fact, no other 2015 ESPAD country displayed prevalence rates so low.
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Ireland

For three of the eight key variables studied, the Irish students reported prevalence rates slightly above the ESPAD average. This was true for lifetime use of cannabis, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS, even though the differences were not substantial. Non-prescribed use of tranquillisers or sedatives was, on the other hand, below average, while lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis was more in line with the overall average. Last-30-day use of alcohol and of heavy episodic drinking was less common among Irish students compared to the overall ESPAD picture. This was also the case for cigarette use during the last 30 days (13 % compared to 21 %). In conclusion, even though Irish students’ overall substance-use habits do not seem to differ all that much from the ESPAD average, experience of inhalants and NPS seemed to be slightly more common while last-30-day use of cigarettes and alcohol was less common.
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Italy

For one of the eight key variables, namely lifetime use of inhalants (3 % compared to 7 %), the Italian students reported prevalence rates below the ESPAD average. Lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and lifetime use of NPS were more or less of the same magnitude as the overall average. Heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days was also on the same level as the ESPAD average. On the other hand, higher proportions of the students in Italy reported that they had used alcohol and cigarettes during the last 30 days. Lifetime use of cannabis was also more commonly reported by the Italian students (27 % compared to 16 %). The most obvious differences compared with the average ESPAD country were the higher prevalence rates in Italy for use of cigarettes and cannabis and the lower rates for use of inhalants.
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Latvia (limited comparability)

As a precautionary measure related to methodological issues the comparability of the Latvian data has been considered limited. The most striking difference for the eight key variables presented was that lifetime use of inhalants was clearly more commonly reported by the Latvian students compared to the ESPAD average (18 % and 7 %, respectively). In relative terms, lifetime use of NPS was also more common in Latvia. The results for cigarette use and heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days were slightly above average, while alcohol use in the last 30 days was slightly below average. For lifetime use of cannabis, illicit drugs other than cannabis and tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription the results were more or less in line with the ESPAD average. Apart from the fact that use of inhalants was more commonly reported in Latvia, the overall impression is that the substance-use habits of Latvian students are of more or less the same magnitude as those of the average ESPAD student.
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Liechtenstein

On one of the eight key variables studied Liechtenstein was notably below the average for all countries. This was true for non-prescription use of tranquillisers or sedatives (3 % versus 6 %). By contrast, the proportion of students reporting lifetime use of cannabis was almost twice as high as the ESPAD average (30 % versus 16 %). In addition, last-30-day use of cigarettes, last-30-day use of alcohol and heavy episodic drinking during last 30 days were all higher in Liechtenstein. The proportions of Liechtenstein students reporting lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, inhalants and NPS, however, were of the same magnitude as the ESPAD average. On the whole, apart from the relatively low lifetime use of non-prescribed tranquillisers or sedatives, several of the results for Liechtenstein tended to be above the ESPAD average, especially lifetime cannabis use.
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Lithuania

For most of the eight key variables studied the Lithuanian results were relatively close to the ESPAD average. The proportion of students in Lithuania reporting alcohol use in the last 30 days, however, was considerably lower than average (34 % versus 48 %), whereas cigarette use in the last 30 days and lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription were slightly more commonly reported (3 percentage points above the ESPAD average). Apart from the lower proportion of Lithuanian students that reported last-30-day use of alcohol, the overall picture for Lithuania shows levels of use quite similar to the ESPAD average.
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Malta

Of the eight key variables studied the Maltese students reported above-average levels on two of them. Alcohol use in the last 30 days and heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days were reported more frequently in Malta (6 and 12 percentage points above average, respectively). On the other hand, last-30-day cigarette use, lifetime cannabis use and lifetime use of non-prescribed tranquillisers or sedatives were reported less frequently compared to the average for all countries. Levels of lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS were very close to the ESPAD average. Apart from the higher results for the two alcohol measures Maltese students reported substance-use levels around or below the ESPAD average.
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Moldova

Students in Moldova reported lower rates for all but two of the eight key variables studied. The two measures where the results were above the ESPAD average were alcohol use in the last 30 days (56 % versus 48 %) and heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time (41 % versus 35 %). Lifetime use of cannabis was only 4 % in Moldova, which is clearly below the overall average of 16 %. Cigarette use in the last 30 days was 9 % among the students in Moldova, which is only half of the average for all countries. The results for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS all indicated relatively low levels of substance use. In the ESPAD context, apart from alcohol, substance use among students in Moldova appears to be relatively moderate.
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Monaco

Students in Monaco reported markedly higher prevalence rates on four out of the eight ESPAD key variables. The most striking difference was noted for lifetime use of cannabis, which was reported by almost twice the proportion of Monegasque students compared to the ESPAD average (31 % versus 16 %). Other measures above the ESPAD average were cigarette use in the last 30 days (26 %) and lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription (10 %). Lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS were more or less on the same level as the ESPAD average. Only one measure indicated substance use clearly below the overall average, and that was heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days (27 % versus 35 %). To sum up, students in Monaco generally tended to report levels similar to or higher than the overall average. Hence, the conclusion is that Monaco, in the ESPAD context, is a medium- to high-prevalence country when it comes to substance use among students.
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Montenegro

Students in Montenegro reported substance use below the ESPAD average for all but three of the eight key variables. The largest differences were noted for alcohol use in the last 30 days and lifetime use of cannabis, which were both 8 percentage points below the average for all countries (40 % versus 48 % and 8 % versus 16 %, respectively). Cigarette use in the last 30 days and heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time were also below the overall average. For lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription the Montenegrin result was 4 percentage points above the average for all countries. The levels of lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS in Montenegro were of the same magnitude as the ESPAD average. To conclude, apart from the use of non-prescribed tranquillisers or sedatives, the results for the key variables revealed that the substance-use habits of students in Montenegro appear to be relatively modest in the ESPAD context1.

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Netherlands

Out of the eight key variables studied, students in the Netherlands scored notably higher on two of them. The remaining six were either on the same level as or at least close to the ESPAD average. The most notable difference was for lifetime use of cannabis, which was reported by 22 % of the Dutch students, compared to the overall average of 16 %. Heavy episodic drinking was also above the overall average (39 % versus 35 %). Reported cigarette use in the last 30 days, alcohol use in the last 30 days, lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis and lifetime use of NPS, however, were more or less in line with the ESPAD average. To conclude, the results for the Netherlands indicate prevalence rates relatively close to the ESPAD average, with lifetime use of cannabis as the most notable exception.
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Norway

Students in Norway reported prevalence rates clearly below the ESPAD average on four out of the eight key variables. The remaining four measures were a few percentage points below or the same as the average for all countries. Most notable was the low proportion of students reporting alcohol use in the last 30 days (22 % versus 48 %). Heavy episodic drinking was also clearly below the overall average (19 % versus 35 %). Prevalence rates for cigarette use in the last 30 days and lifetime use of cannabis were not even half as high as the ESPAD average. Low results for Norway were also noted for lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis (2 %) and lifetime use of NPS (1 %). Measures more similar to the average for all countries were lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription and lifetime use of inhalants. In sum, this leads to the conclusion that Norway appears to be a low-prevalence country when it comes to substance use in comparison with other ESPAD countries.
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Poland

Only two of the eight key variables show similar results for students in Poland compared to the ESPAD average, while the remaining six variables indicate higher than average levels of substance use among Polish students. The measures for alcohol use in the last 30 days and heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time were approximately the same for students in Poland as for all students. The largest difference was noted for lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, which was reported by 17 % of students in Poland, compared to the ESPAD average of 6 %. Lifetime use of cannabis, lifetime use of NPS and lifetime use of inhalants were also higher among the Polish students. The overall impression in the ESPAD context is that the reported levels of substance use among the Polish students are quite similar to the ESPAD average for alcohol but more extensive for the other substances.
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Portugal

Out of the eight key variables studied, Portuguese students scored lower or in line with the ESPAD average on all of them. The most striking difference was apparent for heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days, which was reported by only 20 % of the Portuguese students, compared to the ESPAD average of 35 %. Alcohol use in the last 30 days was also lower than the overall average (42 % versus 48 %). Lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS were 3 percentage points below the overall average, which is a notable difference, at least in relative terms. Last-30-day cigarette use, lifetime use of inhalants, lifetime use of cannabis, lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis and lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription were all roughly on the same level as the overall average. To conclude, Portuguese students tended to report substance use to a lower degree than students of the average ESPAD country.
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Romania

Students in Romania reported substance use similar to the ESPAD average on six out of the eight key variables studied. The only measure that was markedly higher in the Romanian study was cigarette use in the last 30 days. This was reported by 30 % of the Romanian students, compared to the overall average of 21 %. On the other hand, lifetime use of cannabis was only half as common among Romanian students (8 % versus 16 %). In addition, non-prescribed use of tranquillisers or sedatives and lifetime use of inhalants were lower than the ESPAD average, while the four remaining variables were more or less in line with the average for all countries. With the exception of cigarette use, Romanian students tended to report lower or similar levels of substance use compared to the average ESPAD country.
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Slovakia

The Slovak students reported prevalence rates above the ESPAD average for three out of the eight key variables studied. Cigarette use in the last 30 days was reported by 31 % of the students in Slovakia, compared to the overall average of 21 %. Lifetime use of cannabis was also reported to a markedly higher degree by students in Slovakia (26 % versus 16 %). Alcohol use during the last 30 days among the Slovak students was at roughly the same level as the ESPAD average. On the other hand, heavy episodic drinking in the last 30 days was 7 percentage points above average. The results for lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS were more or less in line with the ESPAD average. The overall impression is of levels of substance use among students in Slovakia that are either in line with or, as for the cannabis and alcohol measures, above the ESPAD average.
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Slovenia

Students in Slovenia reported substance use above the ESPAD average for four out of the eight key variables. Results for alcohol use in the last 30 days, heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time and lifetime use of cannabis in the Slovenian study all clearly scored above the overall average. So did lifetime use of inhalants, which was twice as common among the Slovenian students compared to the overall average (14 % versus 7 %). One measure showed a lower prevalence compared to the overall average, and that was lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, which was 3 percentage points below the average in Slovenia. Cigarette use in the last 30 days, lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis and lifetime use of NPS were either very close to or the same as the ESPAD average. In the ESPAD context the Slovenian students tended to have slightly more extensive substance-use habits, especially in relation to lifetime use of inhalants.
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Sweden

Out of the eight key variables studied, Swedish students reported levels of substance use clearly below the ESPAD average on four of them. Alcohol use during the last 30 days and heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time were markedly lower (26 % versus 48 % and 22 % versus 35 %, respectively). Lifetime use of cannabis in Sweden was less than half of the ESPAD average (7 % versus 16 %). The Swedish students were also less likely to report cigarette use during the last 30 days. The results for lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS in Sweden were more or less similar to the ESPAD average. To summarise, the Swedish students tended to report relatively limited levels of substance use in the ESPAD context.
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Ukraine

Ukrainian students reported substance use rates in line with or below the ESPAD average for all of the eight key variables studied. The largest differences in percentage points were noted for alcohol use during the last 30 days (39 % versus 48 %) and for lifetime use of cannabis (9 % versus 16 %). In relative terms, lifetime use of tranquillisers or sedatives without prescription was even less common (2 % versus 6 %). In addition, cigarette use during the last 30 days and heavy episodic drinking during the same period of time were below average. Lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis, lifetime use of inhalants and lifetime use of NPS were more or less on the same level as the overall average. In the ESPAD context the overall impression is that the Ukrainian students appear to display relatively moderate levels of substance use.
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