Austria: Teenagers still smoke heavily and consume vaping products and nicotine pouches

The latest ESPAD 2024 survey, carried out among 7,735 Austrian students in 4^e and 3^e and analyzed by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) for the Ministry of Health[1], is part of a larger European study involving 37 countries. It reveals that young people in Austria are still smoking in large numbers despite a downward trend in prevalence, and a significant proportion of them are switching to newer products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.[2]Alcohol consumption is declining but remains high. At the same time, a significant number of adolescents are experiencing mental health problems, which can contribute to risky behavior.

Alcohol and conventional tobacco consumption at high levels, vaping and nicotine pouches on the rise

Despite a downward trend, alcohol use remains common among 14- to 17-year-olds, with 60% of students reporting having consumed alcohol in the past month. Between 2007 and 2024, the number of young people who had never consumed alcohol quadrupled, and the proportion who had not drunk alcohol in the past 30 days doubled, with abstinence becoming more common. However, alcohol remains part of youth culture, with around one in five people consuming alcohol regularly, i.e., six or more times a month, and this proportion of young people reporting at least one episode of serious intoxication in the past 30 days.

Smoking prevalence has also been declining over the past two decades. In 2003, nearly half of adolescents had smoked cigarettes in the month preceding the survey. This prevalence was 23% in 2024. Nicotine consumption therefore remains very high and is reinforced by the rise in vaping among young people. E-cigarettes have experienced growing popularity, with a quadrupling in the month preceding the survey among students, rising from 7% to 29%. For the first time, more Austrian adolescents are using e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes.

Mental health and addictions: a close relationship

ESPAD data also reveals a link between mental well-being and the use of addictive substances. One in four adolescents reported low levels of well-being, and approximately 10 showed signs of high psychological stress, with girls being more affected than boys. Adolescents showing signs of psychological stress also tend to engage in behaviors associated with addiction, such as excessive consumption of digital games, gambling, social media, alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers.

Austria remains a country with high tobacco industry interference in tobacco control legislation, with an overall score of 18 out of 100 in the 2021 edition of the Tobacco Control Scale.[3]While the country has recently opposed the expansion of smoke-free areas despite the European Commission's recommendations in September 2024, the Austrian Ministry of Health is nevertheless working on amendments to anti-smoking regulations to take into account the success of vaping and nicotine products among young people.[4].

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[1]The Press, Schüler: Weniger Alcohol and Zigaretten, more Nikotinbeutel and E-Zigaretten, published March 31, 2025, accessed April 1, 2025

[2]Predivelli Amanda, How teenagers in Austria are swapping beer and cigarettes for new addictions, The Local At, published March 31, 2025, accessed April 1, 2025

[3]Joossens Luk, Olefir Lilia, Feliu Ariadna, Fernandez Esteve, The Tobacco Control Scale 2021 in Europe, Brussels: Smoke Free Partnership, Catalan Institute of Oncology, published on 2 December 2022, accessed on 2 April 2025

[4]Tobacco-free generation, Austria opposes European recommendations on expanding smoke-free areas, published October 16, 2024, accessed April 1, 2025

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