The data is contained in the Executive Summary of the Annual Reports for 2024 of the Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD), which aggregates information from a set of surveys and barometers from recent years, in Portugal and at European level, on consumption and dependencies among young people and the general population, and is being presented today in the Assembly of the Republic.

According to the 2022 national survey, among current consumers, "daily/almost daily consumption of some alcoholic beverage was 37% (20% of respondents), with 30% of consumers drinking wine daily, 12% beer and 2% spirits."

"As for patterns of abusive consumption or alcohol dependence, 3.1% of the population (5.1% of consumers) had high/harmful consumption in the last 12 months, and 1.1% (1.8% of consumers) showed symptoms of dependence."

In the 15 to 34 age group, 3.6% had risky consumption, and 0.4% had symptoms of dependence (6.2% and 0.7% of consumers), adds the report, which points to more serious patterns among men, with the 25-34 age group having the most harmful behaviours and the 45-54 age group having the highest prevalence of dependence.

According to ICAD, despite the increase in abstinence, there has been no improvement in the indicators, with consumption starting earlier and harmful consumption and the trend towards increased dependence worsening since 2012, "which has almost quadrupled in ten years".

Risk behaviours are more common among men, although they are common to both sexes and across most age groups. ICAD also points out that "regional heterogeneities" remain, with the centre showing a higher prevalence of excessive consumption and severe drunkenness. In the case of high risk and dependence, the Alentejo joins the central region.

Among 18-year-olds, there was a decline in alcohol consumption prevalence in 2024 for the second consecutive year, but this was higher among women for the third consecutive year.

In this group of young people, surveyed on National Defence Day in 2024, 7% reported drinking alcohol daily or almost daily, and almost half (48%) reported binge drinking in the last year.

Binge drinking – rapid and excessive consumption in a short period of time to achieve drunkenness quickly – continues to be slightly more prevalent among boys than girls, but ICAD warns that the differences are becoming smaller.

Also, among young people, the most problematic behaviours are recorded in the Alentejo.

In the study, which focused on young people aged between 13 and 18, 58% said they had drunk alcohol at some point and "around 30% of students aged 13-18 said they had drunk alcohol at the age of 13 or younger, and 3.5% said they had been drunk at such an early age".

In a 2024 European survey conducted in schools, 32% of Portuguese students considered daily consumption of 1 or 2 drinks to be a high risk.

Meanwhile, 64% considered the same risk to be high for consuming four to five drinks, and 58% considered consuming five or more drinks at the weekend to be a high risk, proportions that are falling compared to 2019.

"As for control policies, after the more restrictive legislative measures in 2013 and 2015 - mainly related to the availability, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and drink-driving - there has been little progress in these areas, with regulatory strategies for alcoholic beverages remaining less restrictive than for other similar products from a public health perspective," points out ICAD.

The institute adds that ‘a significant number of minors continue to purchase alcoholic beverages, despite this being prohibited by law’ and refers to the importance of enforcement, with 10,766 establishments inspected in 2023, according to the most recent data available, 16% less than in 2022, and ‘the lowest figure since 2016’.

“In 2024, 48 administrative offences related to the supply/sale to minors were imposed in mainland Portugal. The number of these offences fell for the third consecutive year (-23% compared to 2023), representing the lowest figure since 2016,” the report also states.

The special tax on alcoholic beverages (IABA) yielded €282.5 million for the State in 2024.