Alcohol consumption and substance use among French medical students: A nationwide cross-sectional study: Consommation d’alcool et de substances chez les étudiants en médecine de France : une étude transversale nationale
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2026
Alcohol consumption and substance use among French medical students: A nationwide cross-sectional study: Consommation d’alcool et de substances chez les étudiants en médecine de France : une étude transversale nationale
Medical students are known to face significant psychological distress, making them vulnerable to substance use. There are few data on alcohol and drug consumption among medical students. The aim was to assess the prevalence of substance use, especially alcohol, in French medical students.
Methods
This cross-sectional nationwide study was conducted online from 10 June to 28 July 2024. A survey link was sent to French medical students and residents via official administrative emails. We assessed substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, LSD, psilocybin, heroine, poppers, nitrous oxide and other). For alcohol consumption, we used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Data analysis was performed, including recoding missing responses as zeros. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were performed with AUDIT as the dependent variable, categorized as binary (cutoff ≥8).
Results
We included 8,312 students: 11% met criteria for hazardous drinking, and 5.5% for probable dependence according to the AUDIT; 23.3% respondents reported tobacco use, while cannabis use was reported by 13.4% with 1% using it more than 2 or 3 times a week. Among other substances, poppers (23.5%) and nitrous oxide (11.2%) were the most commonly reported. Multivariate analysis identified several factors associated with problematic alcohol use, such as male sex, younger age, financial difficulties, exposure to humiliation, harassment or sexual assault.
Conclusions
Alcohol and psychoactive substance use remain prevalent among French medical students, at levels broadly comparable to those reported internationally. These findings underscore the need for targeted preventive and supportive actions within medical schools.
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