The level of use by young people

The level of use by young people around the worldInformation is sketchy in many countries, particularly in developing regions, but it's clear that while cannabis is not as popular as alcohol and tobacco in most countries, it is usually the first illegal drug used and is the most commonly used illegal drug by youth around the world.
Worldwide it accounts for the vast majority of illicit drug use by young people (for example, cannabis use represents about 90% of all illicit drug use among students in the US and Australia and almost 95% in Europe). In the highest using countries (Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, UK and the US), cannabis use is quite common, with more than 25% of all high school students reporting use in the past year. In Europe past year rates for Grade 10 students range from 1% in Romania to 35% in France. In sub-Saharan Africa cannabis is considered the main illicit drug of concern, with increasing use by young people being cited in several countries. In Asia, there are few studies, but two showed lifetime prevalence of 4.5% and 6% among youth populations.
Lifetime use of cannabis among 15-16-year-old (Gr. 10) students in 1999: Asia 4.5-6% Europe - low (Romania) 1% Europe - high (France) 35% USA 40.9% Australia 42.8% Ontario, Canada 42.7%
In the last couple of years, use of cannabis and other illegal drugs in "high-use" countries (i.e., the US, Canada, Australia and certain countries in Western Europe) has levelled off - and in some cases declined - after rising through the mid- to late-'90s. At the same time, use rates in lower-use European countries (particularly in Central and Eastern Europe) have continued to increase, so patterns in all countries are merging to an extent. For example, while cannabis use increased among lower-use countries (e.g., Finland and Norway), it decreased in higher-use countries (e.g., the UK and Ireland).