A comprehensive national survey has revealed that adolescent substance use continues its historic decline in 2024, defying expectations of a post-pandemic rebound. The Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, conducted by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, collected data from over 24,000 students across 272 schools, providing crucial insights into youth drug use patterns.
Record-Breaking Abstention Rates
The survey data shows unprecedented levels of substance abstention among American teenagers. A remarkable 67% of 12th graders, 80% of 10th graders, and 90% of 8th graders reported no use of alcohol, marijuana, or nicotine in the past 30 days. These figures represent significant improvements from 2017, when abstention rates were 53%, 69%, and 87%, respectively.
"Many experts in the field had anticipated that drug use would resurge as the pandemic receded and social distancing restrictions were lifted," noted Richard Miech, PhD, team lead of the MTF study. "As it turns out, the declines have not only lasted but have dropped further."
Dramatic Decline in Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol use among teenagers has reached historic lows, continuing a decades-long downward trend. For 12th graders, past-year alcohol use has plummeted from 75% in 1997 to 42% in 2024. The decline is even more pronounced among younger students, with 10th-grade use falling to 26% and 8th-grade use dropping to just 13%. The latest data shows further decreases of 4.5% and 4% for sophomores and seniors respectively compared to 2023.
Marijuana Use Reaches Three-Decade Low
After two decades of relative stability, marijuana use has experienced sustained decreases in recent years. Past-year use among 12th graders has fallen to 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Tenth-grade use declined to 16%, while 8th-grade use remained stable at 7%, maintaining its significant drop from 11% in 2020.
Vaping Trends and Emerging Concerns
Nicotine vaping, which saw a concerning surge between 2017 and 2019, has now returned to pre-pandemic levels. Current rates show past-year nicotine vaping at 21% for 12th graders, 15% for 10th graders, and 10% for 8th graders. However, a new concern has emerged with the rising popularity of nicotine pouches among older students, doubling from 3% to 6% among high school seniors in just one year.
Broader Substance Use Trends
The survey also revealed encouraging trends across other substances. Use of illicit drugs other than marijuana declined among 8th graders from 4.6% to 3.4% in 2024. Prescription narcotic misuse among seniors reached an all-time low of 0.6%, down significantly from 9.5% in 2004. Cannabis vaping rates remained stable, with 17.6% of seniors reporting past-year use.
"Kids who were in 8th grade at the start of the pandemic will be graduating from high school this year, and this unique cohort has ushered in the lowest rates of substance use we've seen in decades," Miech emphasized, highlighting the significance of these findings for public health and youth development.
