Smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use are at record lows among Monaco’s teenage population, but the use of vapes and excessive amounts of time spent online and watching screens are on the rise. Having grown up in the Principality, Monaco Life‘s Niki Borisova is well-placed to take a closer look at the findings of the recent European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) and share her insight into how – and why – behavioural patterns are changing among local youth. 

On Wednesday 29th January, I was among the members of the press invited by IMSEE to the Lycée Albert Ier to hear the findings of the latest ESPAD survey, which was completed by Monaco’s teens aged 15 and up in 2024.

The report paints a picture of a changing reality for youth in the Principality—one where old influences are fading and new digital and electronic intrusions are on the rise.

When I took the 2015 ESPAD questionnaire during my time as a student at the International School of Monaco, drinking and smoking were seen as normal teenage rites of passage. Now, the opposite is true. Fitness, self-care and sobriety have become status symbols, driven by social media and wellness trends.

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Tobacco, alcohol and cannabis consumption are at their lowest levels since data collection on substance use among teens in Monaco began in 2007.

For the first time, cigarette experimentation among students has fallen below 50%. In 2011, 71% of Monaco’s high school students reported having tried smoking, compared to 36.5% in 2024. Just under 20% of the 1,300 survey respondents said they had smoked in the month prior to completing the survey, down from 26% in 2019, while 11.3% admitted to being daily smokers.

Vaping and e-cigarettes have now surpassed traditional smoking among Monaco’s youth. More than half of the surveyed teens said they had used a vape at least once in their lifetime, while a third said they had used one within the previous month. Indeed, almost a quarter of those who answered the ESPAD questions stated that they were habitual, daily users of e-cigarettes.

In 2024, just shy of 85% of students reported that they had tried alcohol, marking the first time this figure has fallen below 90% since records began. Around 60% of students said they had drunk alcohol within the last month, while 7.8% of students stated that they were regular consumers of alcohol, down from 10% in 2019. Meanwhile, 46.5% of students reported having been drunk at least once in their life.

On a more positive note, binge drinking appears to be declining, but the gender gap is widening. More young girls reported having engaged in heavy episodic drinking compared to boys of the same age in the 2024 survey.

Cannabis use has seen the most dramatic decline, with experimentation halving since 2007. Monthly consumption has also fallen since the most recent 2019 survey, as has regular use. Just 2.1% of Monaco’s teenagers said they were frequent users of cannabis in 2024.

Why are teens drinking and smoking less?

According to a 2023 Lancet Public Health report, Gen Z drinks 20% less than Millennials did at the same age, with health-consciousness and social media influence cited as key reasons. In Monaco, the decline in smoking, drinking and cannabis use suggests today’s teens aren’t just avoiding substances because of prevention campaigns, but because being healthy is now part of their identity.

The most telling change in the 2024 survey is the shift in focus from substance addiction to mental health and digital behaviours. When I took the questionnaire, the focus was on drugs and alcohol. Back then, we were asked whether we had tried smoking, drinking or cannabis—there was no mention of sleep, stress or internet use.

Now, the survey is asking questions that reflect modern adolescence, and the results show that sleep deprivation is a bigger problem than ever.

Only 28.6% of students wake up feeling refreshed, while 42% rarely feel well-rested. Alarmingly, 24.5% never feel refreshed at all. This isn’t just an issue of late nights and bad habits—this is a generational shift, one that speaks to higher anxiety levels, increased academic pressure and the constant use of screens.

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In 2024, a section of the ESPAD survey was dedicated to screen use for the first time, and the results were shocking to say the least.

63.7% of students spend at least two to five hours on social media during school days. Less than 30% reported spending an hour a day or less on social media, while just over 8% admitted spending six hours or more browsing sites such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

At weekends and during school holidays, around 11% of students logged in for an hour or less, while just under 60% spend two to five hours online. A worrying 30% said they spent six hours a day or more on social media.

Perhaps surprisingly, students themselves recognise the problem. In 2024, 68% of students admitted they spend too much time on social media, up from 60.6% in 2019. Almost half felt the same about internet use in general.

This, to me, is the most striking aspect of the survey. Unlike with alcohol or cigarettes, where external messaging and regulations have influenced behaviour, the struggle with screen addiction is happening in real time, and teenagers are fully aware of it. They know they’re spending too much time online, they know it’s affecting their sleep and yet breaking the habit isn’t easy.

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