Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2017: Overview, key findings on adolescent drug use

Abstract

Illicit Drugs Showing Declines in Use in 2018 Relatively few drugs exhibited a significant decline in use in 2018, although the use of most drugs is well below the peak levels reached in recent years. Annual prevalence for salvia continued its gradual decline in 2018 with a significant drop of 0.2 percentage points to 0.8%. It appears that the use of this drug is close to ending. Annual tranquilizer prevalence among 12 th graders continued to fall significantly in 2018 by 0.8 percentage points to 3.9%-well below the 7.7% observed in 2002. There has been little change in the lower grades, however, since 2013. Narcotics other than heroin, reported only for 12 th grade, also declined, as will be discussed below under psychotherapeutic drugs. Use of Most Illicit Drugs Held Steady in 2018 There are many classes of drugs tracked in the MTF study, and the majority of them held relatively steady in 2018. These include an index of any illicit drug other than marijuana, synthetic marijuana, LSD, hallucinogens other than LSD, MDMA (ecstasy, Molly), cocaine, crack, bath salts, heroin (overall, and when used with or without a needle), narcotics other than heroin (reported for 12 th grade only), Oxycontin, Vicodin, amphetamines (taken as a class), ritalin, adderall, sedatives (reported at 12 th grade only), tranquilizers, methamphetamine, crystal methamphetamine, and steroids. tracked adolescent drug use. Nicotine vaping prevalence rates in 2018 were 11%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. Marijuana vaping also increased substantially in 2018 as this new way of using marijuana becomes more mainstream. In 2018 prevalence of use in the last 12 months increased 1.3, 4.2, and 3.6 percentage points in 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th grades to levels of 4.4%, 12.4%, and 13.1%, respectively. Vaping just flavoring also substantially increased in 2018 to past-year prevalence levels of 15%, 25%, and 26% in 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th grades. Adolescents associate little risk of harm with vaping. MTF asks separately about regular use of "e-cigarettes" and also regular vaping of nicotine. Levels of perceived risk for these behaviors rank near the lowest of all substances, with little change in recent years. Alcohol Use Continues Declining in Upper Grades Alcohol remains the substance most widely used by today's teenagers. Despite recent declines, by the end of high school six out of every ten students (59%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) at some time in their lives (after a significant 3 percentage point drop in 2018); and about a quarter (24%) have done so by 8 th grade. (Only the 12 th grade showed significant change in 2018.) Alcohol use began a substantial decline in the 1980s. To some degree, alcohol trends have tended to parallel the trends in illicit drug use. These include a modest increase in binge drinking (defined as having five or more drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks) in the early to mid-1990s, though it was a proportionally smaller increase than was seen for cigarettes and most of the illicit drugs. Fort...

Assessment and Treatment of Adolescent Substance Use Disorders

“…Heavy drinking worsens with age. The MTF survey shows that 5% of 8th graders, 11% of 10th graders, and 17% of 12th graders 13 report heavy drinking when stratified by class. A study that explored high school seniors' drinking trend from the MTF series showed that some 12th grade students reported consuming 10 to 15 alcohol drinks in rapid succession, which can dramatically increase their risk for impairment.…”

“…13 Epidemiologic studies consistently show that adolescents have a higher tendency to engage in heavy drinking or bingeing when compared with adults. 13,14 Binge drinking is defined as consuming approximately 5 or more drinks in 2 hours. Heavy drinking is 5 drinks a day for at least 5 days.…”

“…13 Based on recent national survey, the Monitoring The Future (MTF) series, 2 of every 3 students drink alcohol to varying degrees by 12th grade and 1 in 3 students report drinking by 8th grade. 13 Epidemiologic studies consistently show that adolescents have a higher tendency to engage in heavy drinking or bingeing when compared with adults. 13,14 Binge drinking is defined as consuming approximately 5 or more drinks in 2 hours.…”

Innovative Routes for Enhancing Adolescent Marijuana Treatment: Interplay of Peer Influence Across Social Media and Geolocation

“…Adolescent and young adult marijuana users have some of the highest rates and risk patterns of hazardous use, with 13.4 % of youth ages 12-17 and 38.4 % of 18-20 year olds reporting past year marijuana use in a national survey [21]. Marijuana use, particularly among adolescents and young adults, has been linked to a number of adverse consequences such as victimization, traffic accidents and fatalities, subtle impairments in cognitive functioning, and deviations in brain structure and functioning [23][24][25].…”

“…In recent years, there has been a steady, gradual increase in the proportion of youth reporting marijuana use in the USA [20], which has occurred in the context of a reduction in perceived risks of marijuana use [21] and movements to legalize recreational and medical marijuana use in the USA [22]. Adolescent and young adult marijuana users have some of the highest rates and risk patterns of hazardous use, with 13.4 % of youth ages 12-17 and 38.4 % of 18-20 year olds reporting past year marijuana use in a national survey [21].…”