The consumption of alcohol among high school students in Catalonia remains high in 2025, with 51% admitting to having drunk during the last month. This is reflected in the latest Survey on drug use in secondary education (ESTUDES) prepared by the Department of Health. The data places alcohol as the most widespread psychoactive substance among young people in the region.
Decrease of intensive consumptions and binges
The percentages of students who admit to having gotten drunk or having engaged in heavy alcohol consumption in the last month remain "very high" according to the report, although they have reached the lowest values since the year 2000. In 2025, 17.4% of the students had gotten drunk in the last month and 21.5% had engaged in heavy alcohol consumption. These figures represent a decrease compared to 2006, when 25% of students admitted to having gotten drunk and 47.1% had engaged in heavy consumption.
Tobacco and electronic cigarettes in the classrooms
Tobacco consumption also shows a downward trend in both sporadic and frequent use. In 2025, 21% of students had smoked tobacco in the last year and only 3.5% did so daily. In 2006, the data was significantly higher, with 39.8% annual consumption and 15.8% daily consumption. Almost half of the students who smoke daily have tried to quit at some point, with 48.6% of girls and 38% of boys having made an attempt.
The use of electronic cigarettes remains stable compared to previous years. In 2025, 24.5% of students had used this device at least once during the last month. In the regions of Girona, the first contact of minors with substances such as tobacco or vaping usually occurs before the age of 12 and habitually begins with the electronic cigarette. Furthermore, approximately 4,000 minors in Girona between 3 and 14 years old claim to be exposed to tobacco smoke in the domestic environment.
Cannabis and hypnosedatives lose ground among young people
Cannabis consumption among Catalan students has fallen notably in recent years. In 2025, 16.2% of students had consumed cannabis in the last year. The decrease is significant when compared to 2006, when annual consumption reached 39%. The prevalence of consumption during the last month is 12.5% and only 0.5% do so daily, compared to 25.1% and 3.8% respectively in 2006.
The use of hypnotics/sedatives among students registers a slight decrease after the 2023 peak. In 2025, 6.4% of girls and 3.2% of boys consume hypnotics/sedatives daily. If only consumption without a medical prescription is taken into account, the prevalences are 2.9% in girls and 1% in boys.
- 51% of Catalan students have consumed alcohol in the last month
- The consumption of cannabis and tobacco among young people has significantly reduced compared to 2006
- 24.5% of students have used electronic cigarettes in the last month
- In Girona, around 4,000 minors declare being exposed to tobacco smoke at home