Availability Of Illegal Substances According To Young People In The European Union

"A quarter of students (26 %) rated cannabis to be easily obtainable (Table 3b). The highest proportions were found in Denmark, Germany and Slovenia (41 %, each), followed by Norway (40 %) and Czechia (39 %). The countries with the lowest perceived availability of cannabis were Moldova (5.3 %), Ukraine (7.1 %), the Faroes (11 %), Kosovo and Georgia (12 %, both). On average, boys were more likely than girls to consider cannabis to be easily available (28 % for boys versus 24 % for girls). This was the case in most countries, with gender differences of up to 9.6 percentage points. The countries in which more girls than boys reported easy availability of cannabis were Bulgaria, Malta and Slovakia.

"On average, the perceived availability of other illicit drugs was relatively low (Tables 3b and c). The proportion of students that reported easy access was 13 % for cocaine, 11 % for ecstasy, 9.3 % for amphetamine, 7.9 % for crack and 7.8 % for methamphetamine. Illicit drugs were perceived to be more easily available overall in Norway, Montenegro and Denmark than elsewhere in
Europe. The perceived availability of cocaine was highest in Norway, Denmark and Slovenia (over 20 %), and the perceived availability of ecstasy was highest in Norway, Montenegro, Czechia and Slovenia (over 17 %). The countries with the lowest
perceptions of availability for nearly all illicit drugs were Georgia, Moldova and the Faroes, with rates ranging between 1.8 % and 4.5 %.

"Noticeable gender differences of 5 or more percentage points were found for cocaine availability in Cyprus and Slovakia (rates were higher for girls than boys), and in Liechtenstein (rates were higher for boys than girls). Such gender differences in accessibility were also found in Liechtenstein for amphetamines and ecstasy; in Monaco for ecstasy and crack; and in Italy for crack (availability rates were higher for boys than girls). In Cyprus, figures for amphetamine and methamphetamine accessibility were over 5 percentage points higher for girls than boys."