Teen drug use remains low, but survey finds small rise in heroin and cocaine use
The 2025 survey shows 23% of 12th graders drink energy drinks daily while overall teen drug use remains at historic lows, with slight increases in heroin and cocaine use.
- The federally funded Monitoring the Future survey found reported drug use remains historically low among 8th, 10th and 12th graders in results released Wednesday from 23,726 students surveyed February through June 2025.
- Experts had expected some rebound as restrictions eased, but University of Michigan researchers say overall teen drug use has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, attributed to pandemic disruptions in social lives and drug availability.
- The survey found abstaining rates remained high, showing 91% of 8th graders, 82% of 10th graders and 66% of 12th graders reported no alcohol, marijuana or nicotine use recently, while alcohol, cannabis, nicotine vaping and nicotine pouch use stayed stable.
- Richard A. Miech warned that small increases in heroin and cocaine use merit monitoring, while Nora D. Volkow said `We are encouraged that adolescent drug use remains relatively low and that so many teens choose not to use drugs at all`.
- Energy‑drink consumption surged, with 23% of 12th graders, 20% of 10th graders and 18% of 8th graders drinking daily, while experts warned high caffeine and sugar pose health risks.
57 Articles
57 Articles
U-M study finds fewer American teens are using drugs and alcohol, but more are drinking energy drinks
A new report about teen drug use shows the number of kids who are not doing drugs, drinking alcohol or smoking has remained at historically high levels — while the number of teens drinking energy drinks is skyrocketing.
Teen drug use remains low, but survey finds small rise in heroin and cocaine use
A national survey shows teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana remains at record lows. The findings released Wednesday reveal two-thirds of 12th graders reported no use of these substances in the past 30 days.
Reported use of most drugs remains low among U.S. teens
For the fifth year in a row, use of most substances among teenagers in the United States has continued to hover around the low-water mark reached in 2021. The findings come from the latest report of the Monitoring the Future Survey, an annual survey of drug use behaviors and attitudes among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders that has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 51 years. Researchers, based at the University of Michi…
The use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana among adolescents remains at historically low levels, according to the results of a national survey published on Wednesday.
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