HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – A survey of pregnant women in Bermuda has found that while maternal age has steadily increased and tobacco use has declined substantially, binge drinking in later trimesters remains a persistent concern.

In addition, the “Survey of Pregnant Women 2025”, the fifth survey of its kind conducted in Bermuda, has also found that e-cigarette use has emerged as a new behavioural pattern since 2020.

“This survey gives us important evidence from 60 pregnant women who voluntarily participated, and it helps the DNDC and our health partners better understand the choices, risks and support needs that may exist during pregnancy,” said the country’s National Security Minister Michael Weeks.

“I encourage members of the public, health professionals and community partners to review the report and support continued efforts to improve the health and safety of mothers, babies and families in Bermuda,”  he added.

The Ministry of National Security, through the Department for National Drug Control (DNDC),  published the survey which follows previous others in 2005, 2009, 2015 and 2020, and is intended to monitor the reported prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and vaping among survey respondents who were pregnant at the time of the survey.

A total of 60 pregnant women completed the anonymous and voluntary questionnaire. The questionnaire combined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, known as AUDIT, with questions on tobacco and marijuana use and, for the second time, electronic vaping.

According to the key findings of the 2025 survey, just over half of the 60 respondents, 55 per cent, reported never drinking alcohol.

However, 15 per cent reported consuming an alcoholic beverage since becoming pregnant, while 18.4 per cent reported having six or more drinks on one occasion, indicating a strong likelihood of hazardous or harmful consumption.

Two respondents, or 3.3 per cent, scored eight or more on the AUDIT, indicating hazardous or harmful alcohol use and possible alcohol dependence.

Ten per cent of respondents reported using tobacco in the past year, with no reported current or past 30-day cigarette use. Nearly one in five respondents or 18.3 per cent, said they quit smoking because they became pregnant, while 91.7 per cent said they were aware of the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy.

Just under half, 46.7 per cent, said a doctor or health professional had discussed the harmful effects of smoking with them since becoming pregnant.

About one in four respondents, 23.3 per cent, reported using marijuana in the past year, while 1.7 per cent reported current use.

The survey found that 16.7 per cent of respondents reported having used an e-cigarette or other electronic nicotine product. This represents a sharp rise from 3.1 per cent in the 2020 survey, making vaping an emerging area of concern.

The report also includes a 20-year trend analysis from 2005 to 2025, showing that maternal age has steadily increased, tobacco use has declined substantially, and binge drinking in later trimesters remains a persistent concern. It also notes that e-cigarette use has emerged as a new behavioural pattern since 2020.

The report also identifies several practical areas for continued prevention and intervention work.

These include public health education on the risks of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and vaping during pregnancy, targeted outreach to women of childbearing age, education through childbirth classes, referral pathways to support services for women who report substance use, and vaping education in prenatal and preconception health programmes.

The DNDC said it will continue to use the findings to support evidence-informed prevention and public education efforts, while continuing to gather data to help policymakers and health partners better understand substance use trends among pregnant women in Bermuda.