Drug use in French 17-year-olds: analysis of the 2022 ESCAPAD survey

Since the previous survey in 2017, all levels of drug use have declined, particularly smoking tobacco. A notable exception is the use of electronic cigarettes which is rising sharply, driven by a very marked increase in use among girls. 

The results confirm the continued increase in the proportion of 17-year-olds who have never drunk alcohol (one in five in 2022), as well as the unfavourable situation of young people in apprenticeships or those who have left the school system for whom the levels of use are always higher than those of high school students. 

While the 2022 trends are in line with the decline in the distribution of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis observed over the past decade, it should be remembered that this snapshot comes after two years marked by the health crisis linked to Covid-19. 

The health indicators in the survey describe a far less encouraging picture in terms of health than drug use, with a deterioration in the mental health of part of the adolescent population in 2022.