The Spanish Ministry of Health has confirmed a historic decline in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption among secondary school students. According to the 2025 ESTUDES survey, psychoactive substance use among 14 to 18-year-olds has reached its lowest point since 1994, reflecting a generational shift in health behaviors.
Health Minister Mónica García and National Drug Plan delegate Xisca Sureda presented the findings, which polled over 35,000 students across 836 educational centers. García emphasized that the new generation is actively building a healthier approach to leisure, moving away from traditional substance abuse.
The survey highlights a stabilization or sharp decrease across almost all analyzed substances when comparing past-month usage data from 2023 to 2025.
| Substance | Past 30 Days (2023) | Past 30 Days (2025) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | 56.6% | 51.0% | Decrease |
| Tobacco | 21.0% | 15.5% | Decrease |
| Cannabis | 15.6% | 11.6% | Decrease |
| E-cigarettes | 26.3% | 27.1% | Slight Increase |
Despite the positive trends, alcohol remains the most consumed legal drug among Spanish youth. The average age of first consumption sits at 13.9 years. However, binge drinking has dropped to 24.7%, marking the lowest value recorded since the metric was introduced. To further combat underage drinking, officials are pushing for the swift parliamentary approval of the upcoming Alcohol and Minors Law.
Tobacco consumption experienced a particularly sharp drop. Daily smoking in the last month fell to just 4.3%, down from 7.5% in 2023. Furthermore, nearly half (46.4%) of current teen smokers reported attempting to quit in the past year.
Cannabis remains the most prevalent illegal substance, but usage has decreased across all timeframes. Beyond the primary substances, the survey noted several other encouraging trends:
- Hypnotics: Lifetime use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills dropped to 17.9%, the first recorded decrease for these substances since 2014.
- Hard Drugs: Lifetime cocaine use fell to 1.6%, while hallucinogens and volatile inhalants also saw notable decreases.
- Risk Perception: A record 94.1% of students now perceive habitual cannabis use as highly risky. Awareness of the dangers of daily smoking (93.3%) and weekend binge drinking (67.6%) also remains high.
Sureda attributed these historic lows to successful prevention policies, noting that the denormalization of consumption relies heavily on state interventions that counteract industry pressure. Echoing this sentiment, Minister García reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding smoke-free and alcohol-free environments to protect public health.
