Tobacco consumption has reached its lowest point since the Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs in Spain (EDADES) was carried out, which has been published biennially since 1995. The latest report, which was presented this Tuesday, also reveals a decrease in occasional consumption of hypnosedatives by 1.1 percentage points compared to 2022. Occasional cannabis consumption increases slightly compared to the previous edition, but daily consumption is reduced.
The results – obtained from a survey of 26,878 people aged 15 to 65 – show that, among the most consumed substances in the last 12 months in our country, are alcohol (76.5%) and tobacco (36.5%). 8%), followed by cannabis (12.6%) and prescription or over-the-counter sedative hypnotics (12.0%). The consumption of powder and/or base cocaine is much lower (2.5%) and the consumption of other substances is even lower.
Despite a brief rebound between 2018 and 2022, tobacco consumption has been in general decline for almost three decades. In the case of men, it has been falling since at least 1997—the second year in which these data were recorded. In the case of women, since 2003. Regardless of age, men continue to smoke more than women, and 67.7% of daily tobacco users have considered quitting since 2022.
Javier Padilla, Secretary of State for Health, has celebrated this reduction (by 8 points) and has assured that these results demonstrate “that the policies are effective”: “They are policies that we have to update and that is what we are working on.” He recalled, in turn, that the new regulation will address new forms of nicotine consumption, such as electronic cigarettes, so that they do not continue to increase.
Regarding hypnosedatives, despite the large increase that occurred around 20 years ago, “we are now in a situation of relative stability,” highlighted the Government Delegate for the National Plan on Drugs, Joan Ramón Villalbí, while also highlighting remembered that this is the type of substance where women outperform men.
Since 2007, cocaine use among people aged 15 to 34 has plummeted. It has been reduced almost by half. However, at the same time, the proportion of people over 35 years of age who consume this drug has been increasing. As for other illegal substances, the most consumed continues to be ecstasy (MDMA). 0.7% of the population says they have consumed it in the last 12 months, but the historical trend is downward.
Occasional alcohol consumption continues
The EDADES 2024 study reflects the stability in occasional alcohol consumption (76.5% of the population aged 15 to 64 has drunk alcohol in the last 12 months in 2024). Regarding the intensive consumption of this substance, it stands out that binge drinking continues the downward trend. In 2024, 14.7% of this population say they have gotten drunk compared to 16.7% in 2022.
Regarding this decrease in drunkenness, Javier Padilla, Secretary of State for Health, has stressed that this “has not happened alone”: “This happens because in many cities they have regulated, with their ordinances, the bottles because socially they do not like them. “It seems admissible and because they know that it is one of the ways of entering into the abusive consumption of alcohol.” Furthermore, in the trend of the historical series, a (slight) decrease in the proportion of people who consume alcohol daily can be seen. This type of regular consumption is concentrated in older people, notably in men.
Alcohol and tobacco continue to be the substances with addictive potential that begin to be consumed earlier (16.4 and 16.6 years respectively). Regarding illegal drugs, it is cannabis (18.4 years). However, a reduction in occasional consumption is perceived. Furthermore, the problem of electronic cigarettes has been highlighted in the presentation, since there has been a quite notable increase, almost tripling, in the number of people who have consumed the new modalities. The number of people who have consumed nicotine in this way is no longer anecdotal: it has gone from 10% in 2020 to 19%.
The perception of availability is reduced
In recent years, there is a perception of availability of various drugs that is much lower than that of years ago, as a result of efforts to control supply. In 2024, the illegal substances that are perceived as most accessible are cannabis (59% of people interviewed believe they could easily obtain it within 24 hours) and cocaine (40.6%). For other illegal substances, the perception of availability is much lower.
Women continue to have a greater perception of the risk of addictive substances. The general feeling of risk is greater for the consumption of illegal substances, as well as tobacco, sedative-hypnotics, and opioid analgesics. Not so much about alcohol.
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