Students between 14 and 18 years of age in the Balearic Islands start using cannabis at 14.7 years of age on average, which places the archipelago among the communities where the beginning of cannabis use occurs at the earliest ages.
Only Ceuta has a lower average (14.4 years), according to the Survey on Drug Use in Secondary Education (ESTUDES) 2025, published by the Ministry of Health.
The study, which analyzes the consumption habits of more than 35,000 young people throughout Spain (868 of them in the Balearic Islands), reveals that, despite this early age of onset, the use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis has fallen to historic lows in the country as a whole.
In the Balearic Islands, young people start smoking and drinking alcohol earlier
The report shows that Balearic adolescents start smoking tobacco at 14.2 years of age and drinking alcohol at 13.9, figures practically in line with the national average. However, daily tobacco consumption begins slightly earlier than in other communities.
Among those surveyed, 69.6% acknowledged having tried alcohol at some time, and almost half said they had consumed it in the last month. A total of 37.7% said they had been drunk at least once, with girls showing a higher prevalence of this type of consumption.
Tobacco smoking maintains lower but still worrying figures: one in four young people in the Balearic Islands has smoked at some time in his or her life, and 12.2% did so during the last month. In this case, boys outnumber girls.
Cannabis, the most widespread illegal drug
Despite the general decline, cannabis continues to be the most widely consumed illegal substance among students in the archipelago. Some 22.3% have tried it at least once, 15.1% have consumed it in the last year and 11.7% in the last month; in all age groups, consumption is higher among males.
On the other hand, the use of electronic cigarettes continues to be common, especially among girls. Almost 47% of young people in the Balearic Islands admitted to having vaped at some time, and more than a third did so in the last 12 months.
Record lows in drug use in Spain
At the national level, the Ministry of Health survey marks a positive milestone: alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use among adolescents reaches the lowest levels in 25 years.
“Spanish students are changing their habits: they are increasingly aware of the risks and adopting healthier lifestyles,” celebrated Minister Mónica García during the presentation of the results.
Alcohol consumption in the last year fell by 2.6 points compared to 2023, tobacco consumption by 6.5 points and cannabis consumption by 6.3 points. Risky practices such as “binge drinking” or frequent binge drinking also decreased.
Lower consumption, but a new alert: vaping
The use of electronic cigarettes remains a cause for concern. Although their consumption fell slightly (49.5% in 2025 compared to 54.6% in 2023), Health warns that these devices “are not harmless” and can become a gateway to traditional tobacco.
For this reason, the future reform of the anti-smoking law will include measures to restrict its use and protect minors. “We must advance in its regulation and control,” García insisted.
