The Government Delegation for the National Plan on drugs has carried out a pilot study on alcohol and tobacco consumption and possible behavioural addictions in young people aged 12-13 (1st and 2nd of ESO). The pilot has been carried out simultaneously with the ESTUDES survey, between February 5 to May 28, 2023, which allows its temporal and methodological comparability.
Alcoholic beverages
34.6% of students aged 12 and 13 admit having consumed alcohol at least once in their lives. This prevalence decreases as the time period analysed becomes shorter (30.6% in the last 12 months and 21.5% in the last month).
The extent of consumption of this substance at some point in life and in the last year turned out to be very similar in boys and girls. However, in the last 30 days there has been a slightly greater presence of consumers among boys (22.3%) than among girls (20.6%).
This situation is reversed in the 14–18-year-old group where alcohol consumption for all time periods is more widespread among girls.
Students aged 12-13 mostly obtain alcoholic beverages in neighbourhood stores (41.6%) and in other people’s homes (40.8%) or in their own homes (33.2%).
In all time periods and for all types of consumption analysed, an increase in prevalence among students is generally observed as alcohol consumption among their parents becomes more frequent.
Energy drinks
37.7% of 12- and 13-year-old students have consumed energy drinks (Red Bull, Burn, Monster, Coca-Cola Energy, etc.) in the last 30 days, and 10.2% mixed them with alcohol.
These consumptions increase as the age of the students increases, almost doubling in the 14–18-year-old group compared to the 12–13-year-old group, in the case of energy drinks mixed with alcohol (19.5% vs. 10.2%).
Regarding sex, the consumption of both energy drinks alone and mixed with alcohol is higher among males than among females in both age groups.
Tobacco
8.5% of students aged 12 to 13 admit having smoked tobacco at some point in their lives (6.5% in the last year and 4.1% in the last month). It is a somewhat more widespread consumption among girls than among boys regardless of the time period analysed.
The prevalence of consumption increases as the age of the students increases. Thus, the ESTUDES prevalence results for the 14-18 group reach five times those registered among those aged 12-13 for the time period of the last month (from 4.1% to 21.0%).
Electronic cigarettes
One in four students aged 12 and 13 declares having used electronic cigarettes at some point in their life (25.2%), 21% in the last year and 11.2% in the last month.
Regardless of the time period analysed, the prevalence of electronic cigarette consumption is somewhat higher among girls than among boys.
Age is a key factor when analysing the prevalence of electronic cigarette consumption among younger secondary school students. Thus, the data recorded for 13-year-old students practically doubles that of 12-year-old students in the time period of the last month (14.5% vs. 7.6%).
Internet
The possible problematic use of the Internet in 1st and 2nd ESO students in the last 12 months stands at 14.5%. Unlike the rest of the behaviours analysed so far in relation to the online world, the prevalence is higher among girls (18.0%) than among boys (11.0%).
In students between 14 and 18 years old, it is observed that the presence of students who present possible problematic use of the Internet increases to 20.5%. This increase is more evident in the case of girls where the figure stands at 25.9%.
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