The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) has been collecting comparable data on risk behaviours and substance use among adolescent students for almost 25 years, in order to monitor trends in and between countries. The study is conducted in each participating country as a school survey for students reaching the age of 16 years during the year of the data collection, and following a common methodology.
A handbook describing the methodology and reporting procedures drives the implementation of the study in the participating countries, thus facilitating the collection of comprehensive and comparable data. This report summarizes the methodology of the study applied and points out differences in participating countries.