Half of the young respondents (51.9%) in the study by the Addiction Behaviour and Addiction Behaviour Intervention Service (SICAD) said they had already “intensively” drunk at least one time last year, compared to 47.5% in 2015, and 33.9% reported experiencing “severe drunkenness” (29.8% in 2015).

"There seems to be a trend towards increased binge drinking [described as five or more drinks at one time for girls and six or more drinks for boys] and severe intoxication among 18-year-olds," says the survey of "National Defence Day 2018". This growth “happens both among boys and girls, but is more accentuated among girls” points out SICAD.

Other findings from the study show that 89% have consumed alcohol at least once in their lives, 60% have tried tobacco, 36% illicit substances and 7% tranquilisers / sedatives without a prescription.

The “biggest discrepancy” in consumption between girls and boys is observed in illicit substances, with 22.1% and 33.8% respectively, reveals the survey conducted annually since 2015 among 18-year-olds participating in National Defence Day and that aims to understand their additive behaviours and their evolution.

Prevalence of non-prescription tobacco, alcohol and tranquiliser use has remained stable between 2015 and 2018 but “there seems to be a clear trend towards increased prevalence of illicit substance use” largely due to cannabis, the main illicit substance consumed in Portugal.

According to the study, only 1% of young people reported recent exclusive use of other illicit substances. Data show a gradual increase in recent cannabis use by young people to 22.6% in 2015, rising to 23.8% in the following year, to 25.3% in 2017 and to 26.7% last year.

Following cannabis, the most commonly mentioned illicit substances were amphetamines / methamphetamines (5.2%), including ecstasy, cocaine (3.3%), hallucinogens (3%), New Psychoactive Substances (2.5%) and heroin and other opiates (1.7%).

Among the New Psychoactive Substances (NSP) is the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids (1.9%), synthetic catinones (1.5%) and plants or other NSP (1.8%), says the study, noting that about half Recent NSP consumers reported consuming these three types of substances. Regardless of substance, boys surveyed always consume more often than girls, with this difference being “less significant” in tobacco use.