Teen Use of Many Drugs Drops to Record Lows

Teen use of many unlawful and authorized medicine — together with ecstasy, cocaine, alcohol and tobacco — is now at document lows, based on a brand new survey.

The federal government-backed survey, known as Monitoring the Future, gathered information from greater than 45,000 U.S. college students within the eighth, 10th and 12th grades.

The survey discovered that in 2016, teen use of all unlawful medicine besides marijuana was the bottom within the historical past of the survey, which dates again to 1975 for highschool seniors, and 1991 for eighth and 10th graders.

For instance, in 2016, 14 p.c of 12th graders, 10 p.c of 10th graders and 5 p.c of eighth graders stated that they'd used an unlawful drug aside from marijuana previously yr. However within the mid-1990s, near 20 p.c of 10th and 12th graders, and 12 p.c of eighth graders, stated the identical. [The Drug Talk: 7 New Tips for Today's Parents]

What's extra, charges of alcohol and tobacco use are additionally now at their lowest because the survey started. For instance, in 2016, 37 p.c of 12th graders, 20 p.c of 10th graders and 6 p.c of eighth graders stated they'd "been drunk" previously yr. In distinction, in 1997, 53 p.c of 12th graders, 41 p.c of 10th graders and 18 p.c of eighth graders reported they'd "been drunk" previously yr.

Additionally in 2016, 28 p.c of 12th graders stated they'd ever smoked tobacco cigarettes of their lifetime, down from a peak of 76 p.c in 1977. Charges of cigarette use amongst 10th and eighth graders have been 17 p.c and 10 p.c, respectively, in 2016, down from a peak of 61 p.c amongst 10th graders and 49 p.c amongst eighth graders in 1996.

"That is actually outstanding information," Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the examine, stated in a press convention at present (Dec. 13). Researchers now want to grasp "what's driving these very vital, great decreases in drug consumption patterns," in order that they are often sustained, Volkow stated.

Charges of marijuana use additionally dropped amongst eighth and 10th graders. In 2016, 5.four p.c of eighth graders and 14.zero p.c of 10th graders stated that they'd used marijuana previously month, down from 6.5 p.c amongst eighth graders and 14.eight p.c amongst 10th graders in 2015. Nevertheless, charges of marijuana use amongst 12th graders remained steady over the examine interval, at round 22 p.c. [25 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

As well as, the researchers discovered that marijuana use was extra widespread amongst 12th graders who're dwelling in states the place medical marijuana is authorized. In 2016, 38 p.c of 12th graders in states the place medical marijuana is authorized reported utilizing the drug previously yr, in contrast with 33 p.c of 12th graders in states the place medical marijuana isn't authorized.

This highlights the significance of understanding how coverage points, corresponding to marijuana legalization, affect drug use, Volkow stated.

The survey additionally discovered that:

• Teen use of ecstasy (MDMA) was at its lowest price because the survey started. In 2016, 1.zero p.c of eighth graders, 1.eight p.c of 10th graders and a couple of.7 p.c of 12th graders reported utilizing ecstasy previously yr, down from 1.5 p.c amongst eighth graders, three.eight p.c amongst 10th graders and 5.zero p.c amongst 12th graders in 2014.
• Teen use of cocaine was at its lowest degree because the early 1990s. In 2016, zero.6 p.c of eighth graders, 1.1 p.c of 10th graders and a couple of.zero p.c of 12 graders reported utilizing cocaine previously yr. That is down from 2.three p.c amongst eighth graders, four.four p.c amongst 10th graders and 5.eight p.c amongst 12th graders in 1999.
• Teen use of heroin continues to be declining. In 2016, zero.three p.c of teenagers within the eighth, 10th and 12 grades reported utilizing heroin previously yr. That is down from zero.5 p.c amongst 10th and 12th graders in 2015. (Use of heroin amongst eighth graders was the identical in 2015 and 2016.)
• Regardless of a rise in abuse of prescription opioid ache relievers amongst adults in recent times, use of such medicine amongst teenagers is declining. In 2016, four.eight p.c of 12th graders stated they'd used opioid ache relievers and not using a prescription, down from a peak of 9.5 p.c in 2004.
• The share of teenagers who use hookahs or vape declined for the primary time because the survey started monitoring these drug-use strategies in 2010 and 2011. In 2016, 13 p.c of 12th graders reported utilizing a hookah previously yr, down from a peak of about 23 p.c in 2014.

"That is the primary yr that I can keep in mind the place almost all substances are in decline," stated Lloyd Johnston, of the College of Michigan's Institute for Social Analysis, who has led the survey for the final 42 years.

The rationale for the declines in drug use is not recognized, however in recent times, there was a lower within the availability of alcohol and cigarettes for younger individuals — a results of a discount of entry to those medicine by states and communities, Johnston stated. As well as, alcohol and cigarettes are usually the primary medicine that younger individuals strive earlier than they transfer on to different, unlawful medicine. So the decline in alcohol and cigarette use amongst teenagers can also contribute to a decline in unlawful drug use, Johnston stated.

"It's encouraging to see extra younger individuals making wholesome decisions to not use illicit substances," stated Michael Botticelli, director of the Nationwide Drug Management Coverage. "We should proceed to do all we are able to to help younger individuals via evidence-based prevention efforts, in addition to therapy for many who might develop substance-use issues," Botticelli stated.

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