The National Drug Plan publishes the Addictive Behaviour Report

The National Drug Plan has published the Addictive Behaviour Report, intended to showcase the current situation on behavioural addictions and, specifically, on gambling with money, problematic Internet use, possible video game use disorder, and the use of pornography in Spain.

This is a descriptive study based on the specific responses incorporated into the latest editions of the EDADES and ESTUDES surveys.

Population from 14 to 18 years old

• Problematic internet consumption decreases in students aged 14 to 18, from 28.8% to 25.9% in girls and from 18.4% to 15.3% in boys, in relation to the 2021 report
• In 2023, 21.5% of students have played with money online and/or in person in the last 12 months (compared to 20.1% in 2021)
• 23.5% of students who have played money online in 2023 would have a possible problematic symptom, while among those who have played with money in person this value stands at 20.5%
• 66.8% admit to having used pornography at least once in their life, 58.6 in the last 12 months and 44.5% in the last 30 days

Population from 15 to 64 years old

• In 2022, both face-to-face gambling with money and online gambling decrease compared to the 2020 survey
• Nearly 4,000 people began treatment for non-substance addictions in Spain in 2023

Joan Villalbí, delegate of the National Plan on Drugs, has pointed out that “there are addictions without substance, such as addiction to gambling and betting, and that is why this issue has been incorporated into the information system” and into our concerns.

This report provides, for the first time, data on people who begin treatment for behavioural addictions in the public addiction care network. This information, which the autonomous communities provide with data from their services, shows that, although the data is 4,000 people compared to 70,000 for substance addictions, it is a significant volume.

Of these 4,000 people, 80% begin treatment for gambling and betting addiction; and 10% due to video game addiction. Other addictions can be sex, drugs, problematic internet use.

“The data on adults about behavioural addictions or use of services that may have addictive potential tells us that gambling with money is relatively widespread in our society, often without it seeming problematic,” explains Villalbí.

To a large extent, they are forms of face-to-face gambling, buying lotteries or in betting rooms or bingos or casinos; and a smaller but growing share of online gaming, he explains.

The data suggests a small decrease compared to two years before, which is when the previous survey was carried out, in terms of the practice of the game.

Regarding problematic gambling, according to the manual of the American Psychiatric Society, a certain decrease, even relatively significant, has been observed between 2018 and 2022.

“And this is important, because during these years some regulatory elements have been adopted that have surely been positive: on the one hand, regulation that affects online gambling; and on the other hand, regulation that affects audiovisual advertising,” points out the PNSD delegate.

In this way, in 2018 it was estimated that 2.6% of people aged 15 to 64 had signs of problem gambling and in 2022 this has been reduced to 1.7%.

“This shows that regulation is positive and can limit the damage caused by certain practices,” says Villalbí.

Study Survey

Since 1994, the National Plan on Drugs has carried out, every two years, a Survey on Drug Use in Secondary School Students aged 14 to 18 throughout Spain (ESTUDES).

In 2023, the study has been carried out with 42,208 students from 888 public and private educational centres and 1,992 classrooms.

It is about knowing the situation and trends in drug consumption and other addictions, consumption patterns, associated factors and the opinions and attitudes towards drugs of secondary school students aged 14 to 18. And in this way, guide the development and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing consumption and associated problems.

This year 2023, according to Villalbí, the survey shows that, in the face-to-face game, the data has decreased a little. And online gambling for money, which includes video games where money is spent, is similar.

Pathological gambling remains around 4%, with a relatively stable figure.

As for video game addiction, it is around 5% of secondary school students. It is a little less than in the previous survey.

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