Facts About Teenagers and Drug Abuse

Monitoring the Future Survey on Drug Abuse

Since 1975, the Monitoring the Future Study has measured the extent of drug abuse among high school seniors. In 1991, the study began also surveying 8th- and 10th-grade students, providing estimates of drug use among a younger population.

• Among the graduating class of 1996, 50.8 percent of students had used an illicit drug by the time they reached their senior year of high school, continuing an upward trend from 40.7 percent in 1992 but still far below the peak of 65.6 percent in 1981.
  
  
• Use of any illicit drug in the preceding year (annual use) by seniors increased from 27.1 percent in 1992 to 40.2 percent in 1996 after steadily declining from a peak of 54.2 percent in 1979. The percentage of seniors who had used an illicit drug within the preceding month (current use) increased from 14.4 percent in 1992 to 24.6 percent in 1996.

Lifetime prevalence of drug abuse, 1996: Monitoring the Future Study

Marijuana

• The lifetime use of marijuana among 12th-graders increased from 32.6 percent in 1992 to 44.9 percent in 1996; however these rates are still below the high levels of the peak years of 1978 and 1979. There were no statistically significant increases in annual, current, or daily use of marijuana among seniors from 1995 to 1996.
  
  
• Among 8th-graders, increases in lifetime, annual, and current use of marijuana first reported in 1992 continued through 1996. Between 1992 and 1996, lifetime use increased from 11.2 percent to 23.1 percent; annual use increased from 7.2 percent to 18.3 percent; and current use increased from 3.7 percent to 11.3 percent.
  
  
• Among 10th-graders, lifetime use of marijuana increased from 21.4 percent in 1992 to 39.8 percent in 1996. Annual use increased from 15.2 percent in 1992 to 33.6 percent in 1996, and current use increased from 8.1 percent in 1992 to 20.4 percent in 1996.
  
  
• In 1996, 44.9 percent of seniors had used marijuana at least once (lifetime use), up from 32.6 percent in 1992. Annual use of marijuana among seniors peaked at 50.8 percent in 1979, decreased steadily to 21.9 percent in 1992, and increased to 35.8 in 1995. Current use increased from 11.9 percent in 1992 to 21.9 percent in 1996.

Prevalence of marijuana use in past year: Monitoring the Future Study

Cocaine

• The use of cocaine among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders continued a gradual upward climb; however, most increases between 1995 and 1996 did not reach statistical significance. In 1996, 4.5 percent of 8th-graders, 6.5 percent of 10th-graders, and 7.1 percent of 12th-graders used cocaine at least once in their lives. In addition, in 1996, 1.3 percent of 8th-graders, 1.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 2.0 percent of 12th-graders had used cocaine within the 30 days preceding the study.
  
  
• Crack cocaine use increased among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders between 1992 and 1996. Study results showed that 2.9 percent of 8th-graders, 3.3 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.3 percent of 12th-graders had used crack at least once; 1.8 percent of 8th-graders, 2.1 percent of 10th-graders, and 2.1 percent of 12th-graders used crack within the preceding year.

LSD

• Rates of lifetime, annual, and current use of LSD among 8th-, 10th- and 12th-graders have gradually increased each year since 1992. In 1996, 12.6 percent of seniors had used LSD at least once in their lifetimes, and their annual use of LSD was 8.8 percent, surpassing the corresponding levels of use during the peak years of the mid-1970s.
  
  
• Annual use of LSD by 8th-graders was 3.5 percent in 1996 (up from 1.7 percent in 1991). Annual use for 10th-graders increased from 3.7 percent in 1991 to 6.9 percent in 1996.

Inhalants

• Use of inhalants tends to be higher among 8th-graders than 10th- or 12th-graders. Among 8th-graders, inhalants are the fourth most widely abused substances, behind alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana.
  
  
• In 1996, more than one in five 8th-graders (21.2 percent) had used inhalants, which include glues, aerosols, and solvents, at least once in their lives. Annual and current use among 8th-graders was 12.2 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.
  
  
• There was no statistically significant change in lifetime or annual use of inhalants by 8th-, 10th-, or 12th-graders between 1995 and 1996.

Alcohol

• Between 1995 and 1996, the percentage of 8th-graders reporting daily use of alcohol increased from 0.7 percent to 1.0 percent. In addition, the percentage of 8th-graders reporting having "been drunk" in the past month increased from 8.3 percent in 1995 to 9.6 percent in 1996.
  
  
• Alcohol use among 10th- and 12th-graders remained level but at high rates, with 21.3 percent of 10th-graders and 31.3 percent of 12th-graders reporting having been drunk in the past month.
  
  
• Binge drinking (having five or more drinks in a row in the preceding 2 weeks) was reported by 30.4 percent of high school seniors, 24.8 percent of 10th-graders, and 15.6 percent of 8th-graders in 1996.

Cigarettes

• Cigarette smoking continued to rise among 8th- and 10th-graders and remained at high levels among 12th-graders, although there were no statistically significant changes in seniors' use. Between 1995 and 1996, use of cigarettes in the past month increased from 19.1 to 21.0 percent among 8th-graders and from 27.9 to 30.4 percent among 10th-graders. About one-third of 12th-graders (34.0 percent) used cigarettes in the past month.

Part of the NIDA Capsule Series - (C-83-07) [Revised September, 1997]

National Institute On Drug Abuse