The European Union Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction maintains datasets estimating substance use, using a variety of methods including survey data and wastewater monitoring.[1] Whilst illicit substance use varies from country to country, across the whole of Europe an estimated 96 million adults (29% of the population) are estimated to have had some exposure to an illicit substance during their lives.[1] Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance.[1] Among substance users, use of more than one substance is common – so-called polydrug use, e.g., the use of MDMA with alcohol.[1]
Global estimates of past 12-month substance use from United Nations data for 2015 are shown on the slide.[1,3] There is considerable worldwide variation in rates of substance use, and in rates across different substances.[2] The highest prevalence was seen for cannabis use, which was reported to be 3.8% worldwide.[2]
[3] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). World Drug Report 2017. UNODC: Vienna, 2017.