Levels of illicit drug use in France in 2017

Tendances n° 128, OFDT, 6 p.
November 2018

Based on the findings of the 2017 Health Barometer Survey of Santé publique France (data processed by OFDT) which interviewed over 20,000 people aged 18 to 64 years, this issue of Tendances describes the changes in illicit drug use and offers an overview of cannabis supply modes. Levels of use are presented according to the gender, age and professional activity.

In 2017, the proportion of cannabis lifetime users continued to increase in France, and now concerns nearly half of the adult population. While the proportion of current users in the adult population overall has not changed relative to 2014 (one in ten adults), growing regular use in the working population over 25 is becoming established, suggesting that cannabis use may no longer be exclusive to younger generations and could continue after entering the workforce.
In the same way as for cannabis, cocaine and MDMA/ecstasy use is observed, more frequently than before, outside the key age group of 18-25, reflecting the growing accessibility and availability of these substances.

Lifetime use of other illicit substances (other than MDMA/ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms) remained similar in 2014 and 2017. Lifetime use of heroin or crack cocaine is still extremely rare in the overall adult population.

Authors : Stanislas Spilka, Jean-Baptiste Richard, Olivier Le Nézet, Eric Janssen, Alex Brissot, Antoine Philippon, Jalpa Shah, Sandra Chyderiotis, Raphaël Andler, Chloé Cogordan

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