It also found that nicotine vaping in high school seniors declined during the pandemic, along with declines in perceived availability of vaping devices at this time. These results challenge the idea that reducing adolescent use of drugs can be achieved solely by limiting their supply. However, researchers detected shifts in the drugs used, with alcohol use declining and use of nicotine products and misuse of prescription medications increasing. Adolescents who experienced pandemic-related severe stress, depression, or anxiety, or whose families experienced material hardship during the pandemic, or whose parents uses substances themselves were most likely to use them too.
Key figures
This year, 11% of the 12th grade students who took the survey identified as African American, 22% as Hispanic, 5% as Asian, 1% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 47% as white, 1% as Middle Eastern, and 14% as more than one of the preceding categories. For the 2022 survey, 48% of 12th grade students identified as male, 47% identified as female, 1% identified as other, and 4% selected the “prefer not to answer” option. In some cases products common in homes and that have certain chemicals are inhaled for intoxication. Help prevent teen drug abuse by talking to your teen about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices. Teens who experiment with drugs and other substances put their health and safety at risk. The teen brain is particularly vulnerable to being rewired by substances that overload the reward circuits in the brain.
Dependence, Addiction, & Mental Health
- Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among teens, but rates of nicotine and prescription medication abuse are increasing.
- Marijuana can impair concentration, worsen mental health, interfere with prescription medications, lead to risky sexual behaviors, or contribute to dangerous driving.
- The survey also documents students’ perception of harm, disapproval of use, and perceived availability of drugs.
- NIDA uses multiple sources to monitor the prevalence and trends regarding drug use in the United States.
- They may also have access to family member’s prescriptions for drugs like opiate painkillers and stimulants or get them from friends who do.
- Similarly, decreases in prevalence may be partially obscured by the changes in proportions.
Starting with the 2022 NSDUH, questions on vaping of nicotine were included in the nicotine section of the questionnaire instead of in the later emerging issues section. These changes affected the comparability of estimates of nicotine vaping between 2021 and 2022. Therefore, estimates for nicotine vaping in 2021 are not shown in the 2022 NSDUH data products. As discussed in the 2022 Methodological Summary and Definitions report, the use of multimode data collection starting in 2021 increased nonresponse rates due to web respondents discontinuing the survey prior to completion (i.e., breaking off).
What drugs do teenagers abuse?
- In other words, the likelihood that a user may overdose or develop health issues has no impact on its classification as a Schedule I – V drug.
- Effective substance-abuse prevention programs are crucial in reducing the rates of adolescent drug use 34.
- Educating adolescents about the dangers of IMFs and counterfeit pills, working with public safety to reduce availability of illicit drugs, and ensuring access to evidence-based substance use and mental health treatment could save lives.
- Because substance use clusters with other risk behaviors, it is important to learn whether precursors can be determined early to help identify youth who are most at risk.
The resources on this webpage cover a variety of drug-related issues, including information on drug use, emergency room data, prevention and treatment programs, and other research findings. This video for middle school students explains how the brain develops and how drugs affect the brain. Though the sample size of 22,318 respondents in 2023 was lower than the sample size of a typical pre-pandemic year’s data collection, the results were gathered from a nationally representative sample, and the data were statistically weighted to provide national numbers.
- Additionally, the CDC’s YRBSS data suggest that regional differences, such as those seen in Mississippi, can influence the prevalence of high-risk behaviors among youth 26.
- Two thirds of decedents had one or more potential bystanders present, but most provided no overdose response.
- For the 2023 survey, 48% of students identified as male, 47% identified as female, 1% identified as other, and 4% selected the “prefer not to answer” option.
- Fourteen (14) drugs are classified as Schedule V. One example of a Schedule V drugs are cough medicines with 100 to 200 ml of codeine per dose.
The 2023 Monitoring the Future data tables highlighting the survey results are available online from the University of Michigan. During July 2019–December 2021, among 2,231 adolescent overdose decedents in 47 jurisdictions with available data, more than two thirds (69.0%) were male, and a majority (59.9%) were non-Hispanic White persons (Table). Overall, 2,037 (91.3%) deaths involved at least one opioid; 1,871 (83.9%) involved IMFs, and 1,313 (58.9%) involved IMFs with no other opioids or stimulants. Approximately 10% of deaths involved prescription opioids, and 24.6% involved stimulants.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases
First, analyses included 32 to 47 jurisdictions; results might not be generalizable to the entire United States or to other jurisdictions. Second, toxicology testing might differ over time and across jurisdictions; thus, emerging teen drug abuse drugs, including new IMFs, might not have been identified. Finally, circumstances surrounding overdose deaths are likely underascertained because of limited investigative information.
Stated another way, apparent increases in estimates for 2022 could be partially due to the greater proportion of in person respondents in 2022, and not just to true changes in prevalence in the population. Similarly, decreases in prevalence may be partially obscured by the changes in proportions. NDAFW is an annual health observance that teaches teens the science of drug use and addiction among youth. Educate teens about drugs, drug use, and life skills with activities and lessons from Scholastic. Find the latest science-based information about drug use, health, and the developing brain. Designed for young people and those who influence them—parents, guardians, teachers, and other educators—these resources inspire learning and encourage critical thinking so teens can make informed decisions about drug use and their health.
Monitoring the Future Survey: Why we Study Teen Drug Use, a Message to Parents
They may see occasional use as being safe and don’t believe they could become addicted to drugs or face consequences. The reasons why any person uses drugs are complex, and the same is true for teens. Wanting to fit in with peers, feeling overwhelmed by their changing brains and bodies, and pressure to perform in school or sports are just a few reasons why teens may start experimenting with drugs. Teens may not seek drugs out but are instead introduced to substances by someone they know, such as a friend, teammate, or even a family member. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among teens, but rates of nicotine and prescription medication abuse are increasing. Examples of prescription drugs teens may misuse include stimulants like Adderall and benzodiazepines like Xanax.