MADRID, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of smokers in Spain has risen over the past two years, while cannabis continues to the most commonly used illegal drug in Spain, according to the XII Investigation into Alcohol and other Drugs in Spain (EDADES) which was published on Monday in Madrid.

The report also shows that 75.2 percent of Spaniards have drunk alcohol at least once in the past year with 7.4 percent admitting drinking alcohol every day.

This is actually down from 77.6 percent who admitted drinking in the previous investigation published two years ago and has been the lowest level recorded since 1995.

The fall in alcohol use stood in a contrast to a rise in the number of smokers in Spain, with 40.9 percent of Spaniards saying they had smoked at least once in the past year and 34 percent saying they smoked every day.

"The number of smokers has risen by 3 percent and the number of young smokers by 5 percent. We have to act against this," highlighted Minister for Health, Consumption and Social Wellbeing, Maria Luisa Carcedo at the presentation.

Regarding the use of illegal drugs; 11 percent of Spaniards between the ages of 15 and 64 admitted taking cannabis, while 2.2 percent of respondents said they had taken cocaine in the 12 months prior to the report, with 0.6 percent taking ecstasy, 0.4 a hallucinogenic drug of some kind and 0.1 percent heroin.

The findings mean cannabis use has also risen by 2 percent over the past two years, although the use of other illegal substances has stayed more or less the same.

"The use of all drugs has remained stable, but we have observed a small increase in the use of tobacco and cannabis, especially among young people. We will be taking specific measures to reduce the number of smokers and to prevent people from taking up smoking," explained the minister.