A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe, central Asia and Canada

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a large school-based survey carried out every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. HBSC data are used at national/regional and international levels to gain new insights into adolescent health and well-being, understand the social determinants of health and inform policy and practice to improve young people’s lives. The 2021/2022 HBSC survey data are accompanied by a series of volumes that summarize the key findings around specific health topics. This report, Volume 3 in the series, focuses on adolescent substance use, using the unique HBSC evidence on adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 years across 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada. It describes the status of adolescent substance use (cigarette smoking, electronic cigarette use, alcohol consumption, drunkenness and cannabis use), the role of gender, age and social inequality, and how adolescent substance use has changed over time. Findings from the 2021/2022 HBSC survey provide an important evidence benchmark for current research, intervention and policy-planning.

HBSC data: 2013/14, 2017/18 and 2021/22 international file

Editors: Lorena Charrier, Saskia van Dorsselaer, Natale Canale, Tibor Baska, Biljana Kilibarda, Rosanna Irene Comoretto, Tommaso Galeotti, Judith Brown and Alessio Vieno

Suggested citation: Charrier L, van Dorsselaer S, Canale N, Baska T, Kilibarda B, Comoretto RI et al. A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe, central Asia and Canada. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey. Volume 3. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2024. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Press release: Alcohol, e-cigarettes, cannabis: concerning trends in adolescent substance use, shows new WHO/Europe report