Teen Trends In Drug Use

Results from the U.S. government’s Monitoring the Future study was released this week and focuses on trends in teen drug use.

A new national study of teenagers' substance abuse and their attitudes toward drugs and drug use highlights some troubling trends that raise serious concerns, according to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

The organization’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study of 8th, 10th and 12th graders shows decreases in some grades in the use of cocaine, methamphetamine and hallucinogens. While that is good news, it also documents the disturbing prevalence of teens abusing both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. More disturbing is the “continued erosions in young people's perceptions of the harms associated with smoking marijuana, using Ecstasy, drinking alcohol and using smokeless tobacco,” the study reported.  Past surveys have found that such "softening" of teens' perceptions of drugs' harms has signaled future rises in rates of drug use. 

"The 2009 Monitoring the Future study is a warning sign, and the continued erosion in youth attitudes and behavior toward substance abuse should give pause to all parents and policymakers," Kerlikowske says. "Considering the troublesome data from other national and local surveys, these latest data confirm that we must redouble our efforts to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to preventing and treating drug use."

The study, conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is widely considered an important indicator of youth drug use, providing valuable insights into teen beliefs and attitudes about drugs and drug use. 

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